Who I Am
by Lightning99
Summary: "Who is Ash Ketchum?" Not even he knew the answer to the question everybody was asking about him. When he arrived on Alola's shores, a heartbroken, injured young man, he'd never have anticipated the adventure his pain would lead him on. With his partner by his side and a tropical landscape to explore, Ash knew one thing: it would be the journey that changed his life.
1. Prologue

Who I Am

Prologue

She absconded the lab in a cautious rush, but every click of her ballet-flat heels clanged against the bleached steel path and resonated in the glinting white chamber, unveiling her. Fortunately, the echo was omnipresent. It concealed her exact position from her pursuers, offering a fleeting moment of solace as she guessed the path through the nearly hypnotic, winding white maze to her escape.

The girl had never had to run so arduously before. Her exhausted body seared like a Blast Burn: her chest ached as she expelled each heavy hasty breath, her lungs felt as if they were bound with nylon rope, and her weak legs pleaded for rest. They were feelings that were foreign to her cautiously nurtured body. But she endured.

Frantically, the girl glanced back down the path with her terrified emerald eyes, beyond the messy billowing of her blonde hair. Two men were gradually closing in, an inevitability. Panic forced her overtaxed heart to convulse; her breathing stalled, winding her, but she ran faster, defying her breathlessness. She couldn't allow herself to be caught. Otherwise, her impulsive risk would be meaningless.

She reached the end of a white corridor, darted through an automatic door, and she found it: a triangle of blue lights embedded in the floor in the centre of a dangerously open room. The exit.

"She's over here!" a guttural male voice yelled, and the hunters in the room dashed for her.

Her body hurt, but a few agonising moments later she crossed the saving light. Stumbling to the control panel and fumbling with the buttons, the girl raised the barriers and the elevator ascended, distancing her from the men clad in white. She stood taut and trembling for a few tense seconds, panting, fearing for the impossible chance that the tenacious men would climb the scaffolding to reach her. When no such supervillain appeared, her shaky legs collapsed. She landed on her knees, panting.

A naïve act of curiosity had thrust her into her plight. That was all it was. She could not believe what she had seen. How could she not have known? Why wasn't she more careful? She didn't ponder the questions. She just needed to escape, no matter the improbability.

Dialga's generosity missed her as the elevator promptly stopped. She dragged herself up onto her legs made of jelly and patted down her white sundress, glancing left and right to determine her location under the blinding midnight curtain.

The room was large, paved with elevated walkways weaving over and between sections of healthy flora and streams, their beds lined with rocks. Sleeping Pokémon rested on the grass, in the trees, and beside the gently trickling streams, illuminated by the moon's ivory glow that leaked through the skylight roof. She recognised the room as the facilities' sanctuary and yet the trepidation frosting her veins made her feel everything the opposite of safe. Neither the tranquil atmosphere nor the harmonious, clustered tweeting from the nocturnal bird Pokémon could rest her nerves.

The girl traipsed through the room like it was a Fearow's nest in the reprieve of being hunted. Her breathing slowly evened, her relieved heart thanked her for the rest. She sneaked around a corner like a child in the dead of night, but a vigilant woman blocked her path. She backtracked, deciding to hide and wait out the brittle patience of those stalking her instead; or rather, stalking the being blinking through her unzipped bag with lambent sulphur eyes. It would be too difficult to walk around with so many people prowling.

She edged warily around another corner toward her chosen hiding place – a haven she remembered from her years of playing in the room as a child. As if passing through a portal, a thick forearm suddenly reached across the T intersection just in front of her. She flinched, the reflexive jolt making her narrowly avoid the ghastly hand that brushed her Pokéball duffle bag. She darted down the walkway, took a right turn and then a left. When it seemed like she might lose him in the dark, she froze as if hit by a Sheer Cold.

At the other end of the path, obstructing her route, stood two strangers clad in white and blue jumpsuits: a short girl with a long braid of ginger hair and a tall, sturdy boy with a curl of amethyst locks draped over his forehead from under his hat. She gasped, recognising them both. They had appeared a few weeks ago, emissaries from somewhere. She had avoided them because of a potent unease the air around them held. It was as if they exuded it.

Frightened, the girl backed away. She spun around, attempting to flee, but she saw the others approaching behind her, breathless. When they acknowledged the situation, their exasperated faces contorted into fanged, predatory grins, telling her she was trapped, taunting her. They advanced like Mightyena, slowly, as if revelling their power.

Overwhelmed and petrified, her mind concocting torturous consequences of her actions, tormenting herself with the prospect of being disciplined by methods far worse than what she had previously endured, the girl collapsed to the floor. Her body refused to move after that. She entered a state of shock. Her eyes tingled, then warm tears trickled down her cheeks as her hopelessness dawned to her. She shut her glistening eyes, surrendering, waiting for the inevitable.

Suddenly, a chime prompted her to open her eyes again, a celestial sound. Blue energy surging from the bag against her hip swirled around her, engulfing her fragile frame in a shining light. The pursuers retreated, repelled, shielding their eyes, grunting.

As if by magic, the mysterious energy whisked her body from the ground, ascending faster than a Thunderbolt. It phased through the glass dome without making so much as a scratch, climbed and disappeared from the night sky, leaving behind a glittering stream of twinkling stars that soon faded into the darkness.

* * *

**Hi, everyone!**

**This is a short message to new readers. My idea for this story is to incorporate the underlying storyline of the Sun and Moon games and series into one, while building my own world around that central idea.**

**Thank you for giving my story a go! If you continue reading, let me know what you think, and I hope you enjoy the story!**


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome Home

Chapter 1:

Welcome Home

Ash Ketchum felt fulfilled. His recently concluded journey around Kalos had been a success. He had matured as a person and a trainer and made friends he would adore for a lifetime, with who he forged memories that time and exaggeration would only embellish. He even saved the balmy region from Team Flare and Lysandre's tyranny. Ash was no longer the child he arrived in Kalos as. He was a thriving young man, moulded into such by his favourable, diverse disposition: compassionate, headstrong, and reckless.

Snugly resting in the window seat of a Dragonite Airliner with Pikachu curled on his lap, Ash reflected on his adventures and battles, his friends and Pokémon, and especially his runner-up position in the Kalos league. Winning would have been phenomenal, but he was content with placing runner-up since it was to Alain. Over their short time being acquainted, they had become close rivals. Defeat by anybody else would have left him disappointed.

While the Kalos League final had been a grand stage to determine the strongest, Ash felt their rivalry had concluded prematurely. He wanted to challenge Alain with some of his other Pokémon, but for now, they had already said sayonara.

Ash had also said goodbye to Greninja and Goodra, as well as Clement and Bonnie. But they weren't final farewells. Ash knew they would meet again, somewhere, somehow.

Finally, there was Serena, the girl rooted in his head firmer than a Tangela's Ingrain. Her pretty face and chipper, gentle voice invaded his thoughts whenever he had a spare moment to think. Bidding Serena adieu was agonising, especially after their kiss. The warm tingling sensation was still preserved on his lips two weeks later, an illusory tether to what they had.

There was only one thing Ash regretted that year: immersing himself in his journey to avoid confronting his feelings for Serena, to avoid ruining his chances with her. When he watched as the escalator slowly dragged her away, Ash had yearned to talk to her again. He still yearned for their next meeting, and when it happened, he wouldn't hesitate. He had to tell her.

"Pikachu, pika!" Ash looked down into Pikachu's big eyes that gleamed mischievously. Ash sighed knowingly. Pikachu's smug satisfaction was evident.

"Yeah, Pikachu, I'm smiling because of Serena — yes, again, don't judge me."

Mysteriously, after emerging from the Kalos Crisis with nothing more than some bruises and bloody scrapes, Ash discovered he could understand Pikachu. He heard his distinctive cries as ever, but now he knew what Pikachu meant more certainly as if his mind subconsciously translated the exact meaning. And it wasn't just Pikachu; Ash understood his entire party's indecipherable language, as well as Serena's and Clemont's. The sensation mimicked that of his and Greninja's bond evolution, so Ash assumed the two events were somehow linked.

Thus far, Ash kept it a secret. He didn't know what his friends' reactions would be. The first person he wanted to consult about it was Brock. After all, Brock was his most trusted and loyal friend. Until he could consult Brock, Ash silently enjoyed interpreting the conversations Pokémon had in the background, musing when he overheard Pikachu bragging about his wins over two pseudo-legendaries.

Ash drew his arms up into a stretch, "It's been an awesome journey this time around, buddy! I'm sad to see it end."

"Pi… Pikachu!"

"Yep, we're getting closer. I have to become a Pokémon Master – and that means at least winning one league first – but when do think we'll get to meet him?" Ash asked, elated.

"Pikachu! Pi, pika!"

"Yeah, I can't wait! I'm psyched to see everyone else again, too. We'll go and see them at Professor's lab straight away."

"Pikachu!" he responded.

A minute later, the plane awoke with a stuttering rumble and lifted into the perfect cloudless sky whereon the glittering stars danced, and Lumiose City's golden lights waved back at Ash. A final farewell. Ash could almost see Clemont standing at the top of Lumiose Tower waving at him too.

Flashing a melancholic smile, Ash drew down the window shade and closed his eyes to get some sleep, his hand gently rustling Pikachu's fur. It was going to be a long journey home.

* * *

After half a day of travelling prolonged by a bothersome delay at customs, Ash finally dashed into the crisp Kantonian evening with Pikachu bounding at his heels. Ash inhaled a gallon of fresh air that the humidity in Kalos hadn't permit; it felt euphoric in Ash's chest, the heavenly feeling of being home after a year of travelling.

Pausing at a crossroads, Ash scanned Viridian City, absorbing the quaint atmosphere as he did every time he returned. As he had eagerly anticipated, nothing had changed: the old guide sat on his bench drinking what appeared to be an espresso, and Pokémon roamed freely, mingling with the locals beneath the dim, warm streetlamps as the first hint of dusk faded across the sky. Viridian's rusticity was another world to the Kalos cities Ash had become accustomed to. The peaceful settlement without skyscrapers and industry was an incredible sight after spending so long in Lumiose's bustle. Ash preferred downscaled cities like Viridian to any metropolis: they reminded him of home.

Wasting no time scrutinising the sights, Ash quickly ventured into Viridian Forest, the tangled green periphery the first old friend to welcome him home.

Ash's youthful memories resurfaced as he saw the dusty paths meandering between the ageing oaks and tall grass, and the wild Pokémon frolicking around. He breezed past each landmark he classed as historic when he reminisced on his journey. The long straight whereon he and Pikachu formed their everlasting bond after clashing with the battalion of Spearow. The riverbank where he 'borrowed' Misty's bike. Even the small outcrop where he met Serena as a child. Finally, the hill just outside of Pallet Town he'd once dragged a neglectful Pikachu along.

Descending the hill's brow, Pallet Town, his glorified home, came into view. Down into town, Ash glided over the pathways, jovially waving at the surprised-faced natives who responded with gestures of acclamation. Ash assumed they had watched the Kalos League. Since Kalos was a high-standing region, it made sense it was televised globally, meaning his mother would have watched it too. That thought alone filled him with pride.

Ash jogged past the Oak family's mansion where Daisy Oak sat upon their front-garden bench leafing through a book. Ash wondered whether his proud childhood friend was home from Sinnoh yet. He was eager to talk to him. Placing runner-up in a Pokémon League would surely repress Gary's cockiness for a short while.

Veering onto the long stretch where the town expanded into charted green hills and fields, Ash finally saw it, his charming beginnings wrapped in fences and a newly blossoming front garden. The white-walled haven his journeys always began and ended at. Stopping breathlessly before the threshold of the white gate, Ash was home.

He approached the building like it was mirage threatening to vanish, his adoration for the place making him nervous. It was a feeling akin to being entranced by Attract, or a fraction of the infatuation kissing Serena gave him. Ash hadn't informed his mother of his early return, and that doubled his nervousness. His hands shook as he grasped the handle; Pikachu's wide eyes and shuffling in his peripheral vision seemed to mimic him as if they were one.

When Ash opened the door, his mother was humming sweetly to herself on the other side, her back facing towards him. Ash smiled.

"Hey, Mum. I'm home."

Delia did a Rapid Spin, dropping the duster wrapped in her palm onto the floor with a clack. Noticing Ash, she covered her disbelieving gasp with her hands, quickly becoming soaked by the dew-like tears forming in her eyes. Grinning, Ash widened his arms, and Delia flung herself towards him, her tears already waterfalls on her cheeks. The hug was warm and filled with every pent-up emotion their separation created – love, worry, happiness, delight. _Now_ Ash felt at home.

For the first time, Ash dwarfed his mother in their embrace. Throughout his Kalos journey, although Ash hadn't realised it, he had physically grown. He was a few inches taller now, leaner, more athletic, and his skin sported a light tan. His hair was slightly longer, messier, but complimented his teenage handsomeness perfectly. Now, he looked like a young man and a real Pokémon trainer.

Drawing back from the hug, Delia wiped her cheeks and held Ash's shoulders, keeping him as close as possible. "Oh, Ash, I've missed you!" Delia sniffled. "Look at my little boy! You're so grown up!"

"I've missed you too," Ash said warmly.

"Pika pi!"

Delia squealed, quickly whisking the electric mouse into her arms, "Pikachu! You're as adorable as ever!"

"Pika!" Ash rolled his eyes as Pikachu's playful smugness resurfaced.

"Welcome home! Both of you! Come in, come in, take your hat off. I've got lots of questions about your journey!" Delia skipped around Ash, nudging him into the home, and closed the door. She eagerly ushered him into the living room and onto the settee, "Why didn't you tell me you were coming home so early?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise! And trust me: it was worth it!"

"Oh, I'm just so happy to have you back home! Now, tell me all about your adventure! I want to know everything, from why you jumped off Lumiose Tower, to the whole Kalos Crisis and how you're involved–"

"Hang on—"

"-and don't even try to deny it, mister! A situation like that has your danger-attracting name written all over it. That includes every instance when legendary Pokémon appeared too. I swear! It's as if you are a magnet for rare Pokémon! Oh, yes, and don't leave out your relationship with Serena! I want all of the details! As a proud mother, I believe I'm entitled to know everything."

Ash sighed and started talking. Ash spent the subsequent hour recalling and explaining the events of his Kalos journey in vivid, augmented detail. Unable to contain his excitement, Ash leapt off the settee multiple times, punching his fists, amplifying his voice. Then Serena filtered into his story, and Ash immediately settled and spoke red-faced and passionately. His love for Serena was as clear as Kalos' waters in the way he expressed himself, and he saw the pride in his mother's eyes.

"I guess it started early on in our journey. Every day, I learnt more about her, and we kept getting closer from day one. She's just so great. She's amazing, mum. I never thought I would say this, but I think – I think I love Serena."

Ash smiled softly. Reiterating those three words aloud made them sound more literal than saying them in his head did. That wasn't some half-hearted statement: it was a true confession from him, another step towards maturity.

"Aww, that's wonderful, Ash," Delia said, hugging her son again.

When Ash finally concluded, restlessly explaining their parting kiss, the golden sun pierced the windows at eye-line, establishing that evening's dusk.

"Phew," Delia fanned herself, "after hearing all of that, I think I need to lie down. I might have a heart attack if I hear you almost died again! I worry about you so much, Ash."

"I know, Mum."

"But it seems like you keep on improving every day," Delia said.

"Yeah! I feel like I'm getting closer to my goal, and when I do, I can finally have my dream, just like you said! But I think I'll spend some time at home for a while before I go off adventuring again," Ash said.

"Oh, Ash… I'm so proud of you. It will be amazing to have you home for a while. You can help around the house or do something else. Maybe you can help Samuel with his research for a while. I'm sure your discoveries in Kalos will help him a lot."

Ash suddenly gasped, jumping to his feet, "Ah! I was so caught up in my stories that I forgot about visiting Oak's lab!"

"Right now? Are you sure?" Delia asked.

"Yeah, sorry Mum! I promised Pikachu we would go!" Ash said.

"It's ok, Ash, you can go. Just make sure you take your Pokégear with you, it came back from the repair shop just as you left for Kalos. Typical. I'll have supper ready when you get back," Delia said.

"Oh, yes! Clemont's meals are tasty, but nothing beats your food! I've missed it!" Ash said, strapping his Pokégear to his left wrist.

"Pikachu!" His partner agreed.

"See ya later!" Ash said, waving, then dashing out of the door, Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

Behind him, Delia exhaled through a smile, "That boy. He's so focused on that dream of his. He's so much like _him_…"

* * *

The orange-navy sky wispily blended as if via the gentle bristles of a brush enriched Pallet Town beneath it, overlaying a warm evening aura that was serene. The Butterfree flock swaying to the soft breeze's current over the lab-on-the-hill, which was a beautiful black silhouette, was barely visible, and each glowing window in the streets dimly illuminated the openness, colouring everything the shade of amber.

Running through the paths, an aroma of fresh food wafted from the chimneys like a Sweet Scene, enticing Ash's appetite for his return home later, and the whooshing air chilled his skin. That diverse, nature immersed environment engulfing his hometown was something Ash had desperately missed, the simplicity, the feeling of freedom it provided.

Ash crossed the bridge at the foot of the hill, tussled open the unusually locked fence and ascended the steps two at a time with Pikachu matching his strides. If not for the sun's remnant embers and the artificial glow bleeding through the glass doors, the lab would be shrouded in darkness. It looked deserted.

"Professor! I'm back!" Ash announced himself, parading through the sliding door, startling the only figure in the room. But it wasn't Samuel Oak.

"No way! Ash Ketchum?! Is that you?!" Instead of Samuel Oak, his son replaced him, otherwise known as Gary's father and a previous champion of Indigo Plateau.

"Mr Oak?!"

Gary's father swivelled in his chair, jumping to his feet. He dragged a hand through his spiked ginger hair, striding proudly towards Ash, a grin making his facial features striking. Seeing him in person now after countless years, Ash finally understood Gary's extreme desire to achieve greatness. He had prideful mannerisms, evident in his swaggered walk and confident tone, and he was imposing, his handshake was firm and meaningful. Comprised in him appeared to be the qualities of an experienced trainer: a Pokémon Master.

"Hah, it _is _you! It's been years! How've you been?" he asked.

"I've been good, thanks! Where've you been for so long?"

"Oh, y' know, here and there, meeting old friends and making new ones, as is the way of the Pokémon trainer," he smirked, dropping a doting hand onto Ash's shoulder, poking at his muscle. "But, man, you look great! You're not scrawny anymore, eh? Now I wonder who the lady-killer is, you, or my son!"

Ash smiled, "Go on, tell that to Gary, I dare ya!"

Gary's father laughed, "Hah, yeah! If he's anything like his old man, then he'll be a cocky son-of-a-gun."

"He's calmed down a little bit with age, but yeah! Anyway, what brings you back home? I was expecting the Professor," Ash said.

"I figured it was time I return to my family. But, lo-and-behold, my wife tells me Gary is away adventuring around Sinnoh, and the great 'Professor Oak' allegedly has more important things to do than see his only son – who's been away for nearly six years, might I add. He's always been a bit of a Meowth," he replied.

"Ah, Gary's not home yet? That sucks. I wanted to talk to him about my journey. Maybe brag a little here-and-there."

"Hah, nice one! His mum called him earlier, so he should be home in a few days."

"Alright, thanks!" Feeling a tugging at his trouser leg, Ash looked down, "Oh, yeah! Mr Oak, this is my partner Pikachu!" The electric mouse leapt onto Ash's shoulder and cried out happily.

"Blue, please, Ash, that's my name!" Seeing Pikachu, Blue whistled, "He looks like a powerful one. There's a good look in his eyes. Nice to meet ya, little buddy!" Blue tousled Pikachu's head. "Well, Ash, I won't keep you much longer if you need to see my pops. He's out back, doing whatever's more important than seeing his son. Hey, while you're here, do you want me to look over your Pokémon? Overseas I dabbled in Pokémon doctoring, and if one of your Pokémon caught Pokérus, that'd be a helluva discovery!"

Ash nodded, retrieving Noivern, Hawlucha, and Talonflame's Pokéballs from his belt. "Thanks, Blue!"

"No worries, kid! Now, go give the old geezer a heart attack!"

Giving one last wave, Ash retreated from the lab and rounded the corner towards the ranch. Blue watched him go, "Jeez, they're so similar… Why did it end up like this? I wish you could meet him, Ash, I really do." He shook his head, disappearing out the door.

Ash rounded the building, his excitement electric, but he froze at the gate to something his elated mind hadn't anticipated, a scene that even a clairvoyant couldn't have foreseen. His many Pokémon were scattered around the floral yard as ever, playing, sparring. But then he saw huddles of his past companions interspersed between them, from his closest friends to fortuitous acquaintances – from Misty and May to Stephan and Ursula. Ash noticed Professor Samuel Oak walking sternly between them, his lab-coat sweeping behind him like a cape, his hawk-eyes calculating.

Ash was confused; he didn't tell anyone about his homecoming, so why were they all there? The naivety he embarked to Kalos with would have concluded that they were planning a surprise for his return, but his maturity and the fresh nightly air that was somehow stifling told him otherwise. Scanning the pensive scowls, the poorly masked remorse on the faces of his friends, Ash knew it was something else – something worse.

That question became a secondary concern when he saw his companions from Kalos surrounding his slumbering Snorlax at the side of a lily-edged pond. He saw Bonnie first, who used the sedentary Pokémon's body as a trampoline, while Clemont, fidgeting intensely, was unsuccessful in coaxing her down. An unfamiliar boy stood in Ash's shoes beside Clemont, but Ash didn't indulge a second glance. The girl beside the boy implored his full attention. She was entrancing, the thief of his thoughts and his heart. Serena Yvonne. Ash couldn't help noticing how beautiful she looked, but he suddenly wondered if it was a beguiling beauty; she lied to him, Clemont and Bonnie too.

Lingering at the gate momentarily, his hand hovering over the latch, Ash apprehensively opened the gate and stepped through, the light clack of it closing again sounding like a sonar as heads turned on him in a domino effect. Everyone wore their surprise like an accessory; they hadn't been expecting him. Swallowing his sudden cautiousness, Ash moved towards the silenced group.


	3. Chapter 2: Tragedy

Chapter 2:

Tragedy

"Hey," Ash said, feeling awkward for breaking the omen silence. "Guys, what're you all doing here?"

Nobody offered him a reply. They looked between each other, then at Professor Oak, who nodded, then they moved like robots to his dictation, surrounding him almost defensively. Ash watched them shuffle around into formation, their heads bent to the floor.

Serena's delicate fingers fiddling with her skirt attracted his attention. It was a tell of hers, something she did whenever she was nervous. That was one of many things Ash had learned about her over their journey, another being how she lowered her head whenever she felt ashamed or embarrassed to avoid eye contact because she was a poor liar. Ash was worried now: something was very wrong. His heart quickened, but Ash softened as he faced her. She was his weakness. "Serena… Why aren't you in Hoenn?"

"Ash, whatever is—" Serena started – Ash noticed her eyes glistened with worry – until the mystery boy nudged her in the back. Ash frowned, and glared into the boy's blue-grey eyes, quickly becoming defensive over Serena. His desire to protect her was another quality forged over their time acquainted, merging with his affection into an unrivalled love nobody but herself could shatter.

"A-Ash. You're home early…" Professor Oak cleared his throat, sweeping forward to meet the young trainer at arms' length, his TV-famous voice completely vacant of its chipper lilt. "A week early."

"Professor, what's going on here?" Ash repeated.

"I took it upon myself to gather your friends to welcome you home from your Kalos journey, of course," Oak said, crossing his arms. There was a smile on his face, but it was forced, perhaps even rehearsed, done so many times it became a tedious habit.

"Pika…" Pikachu mumbled. _He__'__s lying._

Pikachu was right. Ash had known Professor Oak since he was a child and never had he seen him so stern, so awkward. His personality was carefree and charming. He'd never lied to him before, so it was easy to tell when he was. That wasn't the genial reunion Professor Oak was suggesting – especially with the absence of his closest friends, Brock and Gary. Everything felt wrong, and Pikachu noticed it too; he leapt down onto all fours, his cheeks sparking as if verging on releasing a warning jolt at Oak's side.

Ash chose to adopt the ruse, hoping he could fool Oak into unveiling his intentions. If he believed Ash was still the naïve child he left as, Oak would let his guard down, conforming to the stereotype adults often enacted: underestimating their juniors. "Thanks, Professor, and all of you for showing up."

"Hmm, not a problem, Ash. Now–"

"Hey, where's Brock? I need to talk to him." Ash didn't look around for him. He stared right at Oak, unblinking, trying his best to notice a sign he was lying.

"Ah, you see, a few of your friends wouldn't comply—" Professor Oak cringed, quickly stopping himself, a momentary contortion of his face telling Ash he'd already messed up.

"Comply? You make it sound like you forced them to come here!" Ash jested, but the intent wasn't humorous, and neither was the hardening stare he zoomed on the worried Professor. Quickly peeking around him, Ash noticed his comment seemed to make others uncomfortable too – especially Clemont. He fidgeted more than before, moving his feet, twisting his hands, hunching his shoulders, looking shiftily side-to-side. He was hiding something, just like Serena.

Misty groaned impatiently, "Professor! Stop avoiding the subject! Just get on with it!"

"Get on with what?!" Ash asked, feeling even more confused. Had he missed something?

"Now, Ash, we've known each other for a long time – all your life to be exact. You know I am like a second father to you so when I say this, I don't want you to take it the wrong—"

"You're not–"

Misty intervened again, "Oh for – Ash, what the Professor is trying to say is that we all think you should give up on your childish dream of becoming a 'Pokémon Master'! You've failed so many times already, so what's the point in continuing? Just come home!"

Ash stopped breathing – he bizarrely felt Pikachu do the same. His heart dulled in his chest, the bliss he felt being back home suddenly deflating into emptiness. He hadn't expected _that_. He had thought it would be something sad or displeasing given their suspiciousness, but not something so demoralising, so questioning of his life choices. Was his naivety still the same after all? "W-What?"

It appeared as if the foreign feebleness in Ash's voice was the fuel his friends needed to further Misty's statement. The lifeless shells they were suddenly humanised and a messy barrage of insults and Pokémon cries overlapping one another blared across the silent fields. The incomprehensible words jumbled together, like the rallying of a mob, but Ash heard everything, no matter how much he wished he didn't.

Drew swaggered forwards first, only a few steps, his hand flicking the curl of his green hair. "Yeah, man. You've been trying for what, six years now? Surely those failures have gotta tell ya something," he said. "Just give up."

"Yeah, Ash," May continued, bouncing behind Drew and purposefully hugging his shoulders, "we've made names for ourselves in the coordinating world while all you've been doing is losing. You're not good enough to win."

"Face it, little kid, you're a crap trainer – nothing like me and _my_ dragon types," Iris said. She swept her hair flamboyantly, crouching to pet Ash's Gible. It looked to Ash as if she was claiming him as her own.

Max, now a pre-teen, snootily thumbed his glasses and flicked his thumb and index finger at Ash, "My knowledge of Pokémon equates to double or triple yours. Surely, you'll give me your Pokémon to try my hand at the league too, won't you?"

"I'm just here 'cause I'm salty a little wimp like you beat me. The calibre of trainers that fought in the Unova League last year was high, and I was outed by a freaking Pikachu. Seriously, did you give him Rare Candies or something? That's the only way an awful trainer like you could beat me. Although, you do have some pretty interesting Pokémon here. How about you give me your Torterra? He'll have a real trainer then!" Trip announced next.

Zoey shouted with a bellowing voice that Ash was a failure, Tracey belittled him by declaring his own achievements in comparison, and Cilan voiced his disappointment in how Ash's ability hadn't grown at all from the moment they parted. Amidst the heartache, Ash saw what was happening. The way they were talking, their actions; they were trying to get him to believe what they were saying. They wanted him to give everything up willingly.

"You see, Ash," Oak resumed, the monotonous sound of his voice dragging Ash from his realisation, "after your disappointing loss in the Kalos League despite having a unique Pokémon that was undoubtedly the strongest in the competition, we believe you should branch out, put your talents to use in another field of work. After all, you're a disgrace to Pokémon Trainers."

_A disgrace. _Ash was so shell-shocked at hearing that he didn't register when they continued slandering him, each deceitful 'friend' having something to contribute except the evasive Kalos crew who concealed themselves in the others' moonlit shadows, listening. Their taunting reverberated in his head, each remark ripping deeper and deeper into his heart with the slow, agonising sensation of sandpaper. All he could do was stare while his heart cracked. But his friend's words weren't the most torturous: his Pokémon's were.

Naturally, to everyone else, his Pokémon's cries were just that: Krookodile's roar was a roar, Donphan's snort was a snort. But to Ash, they were severe rebukes that caused his heart to ache like the dull pain of being jabbed with a blunt blade. They told him to give up, to stop wasting his life, but most significantly that he'd neglected them, ruined their lives. Hearing such fatal criticism from the Pokémon he'd raised by hand, as his partners and friends, was devastating. He'd thought his new ability enabling him to understand them was a gift, but it turned out to be a curse.

A punching bag for their comments, Ash found it hard to muster any words that were loud enough to reach anybody. The constant derision overpowered and interrupted his meekness. When his cracking voice allowed some words loud enough to be noticed, he looked pointedly at Serena, who shied away from his life-lost eyes. "Do you – Do you all think that?"

"Indeed, Ash," Oak interrupted. "All your friends and Pokémon believe that you should give up."

"And try your hand at something else," Cilan added. Ash wondered if that was supposed to make him feel better.

"W-What about Brock and Gary… Dawn, Barry, Paul? Infernape, Heracross, Staraptor, Sceptile, Torterra, Charizard…." Ash's desperation, the need to know their betrayal wasn't real, came out in the only way he could think – rambling. If he just kept talking, maybe he could convince himself it wasn't real. It was all too real.

"They were mere inconveniences. They wouldn't see the truth – that you are not qualified to bring your childish 'dream' to fruition. Therefore, I did not invite them," Oak said.

Ash ignored him, turning to scrutinise Clemont with pleading eyes. He couldn't comprehend how Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena had reformed their godly opinion of him so quickly and effortlessly. "Clemont, please… We're like brothers…"

"I-I'm sorry, Ash." He and Bonnie turned their backs, sealing their disloyalty, and Ash's sanity cracked a little bit more. He missed the remorse in Clemont's voice.

Finally, Ash faced Serena, his blood running cold, and he hated himself for asking the next questions, but he needed to confirm it. "Serena… Do – Do you – Do you think the same? Did that kiss mean anything to you?"

Serena's blue eyes widened hysterically, quickly brimming with tears. "Ash, of course—" She hesitated, looking down again, "n-not. It was just a kiss goodbye. That's all. It didn't mean anything. I've – I've moved on with Calem – my boyfriend…."

In an instant, Ash was comatose. Complete agony was all he felt as his heart decimated into fragments, then, as if the pieces burst his lungs too, Ash became winded and disoriented, suffocated. All at once, the blissful squeeze seeing Serena again gave his heart twisted into a searing ache in his chest. The notion of her exchanged immeasurable happiness for endless despair, and her lovely voice, still trying to talk to him, was punishing. Ash couldn't be around her anymore: he had to escape the detrimental heartbreak.

The reverie Ash immersed himself in made Oak's next words sound a mile away. "Ash, as your current father-figure, I'm demanding that you give up on this foolish quest! Your Pokémon agree, so what use is there in protesting? We'll take them off your hands if you keep trying to follow this dream."

"You're _not _my father!" Ash bellowed, the strain in his voice so emotional that tears crystallised in his eyes. Everybody flinched, not expecting an outburst. Or maybe they weren't expecting the pain steering his voice. They didn't know, and Ash couldn't blame them since he hadn't told anyone but Brock, but the stimuli were too much. He couldn't handle their words anymore, and Oak declaring himself Ash's _father figure_ was the prick in the balloon, bursting the feeble blockade Ash restrained his emotions behind.

"If you were, you wouldn't tell me to give up. You'd support me and help me! Do you know one of the reasons my dream is what it is?! Because as a kid I used to go to Pallet Town's park to play, but I'd sit _alone_ watching my classmates playing with their fathers, having fun, and being loved by them! I've _never _had that! So, I begged my mum to tell me about my father one day. Mum told me he's an amazing, loving man who couldn't be with us for some reason, then she said that he's a Pokémon Master, and if I can become one, I can meet him! That's the only thing I have in my entire life that connects me to my father. It's the only way I can meet him! _That__'__s_ a foolish goal to you?! You're telling me my desire to meet the man my mother loves - the man I want to love – is foolish?!"

Ash panted, somehow feeling something akin to relief having unleashed the tumour of pain from his chest. Professor Oak looked startled, and looking around, Ash saw Serena and Bonnie silently in tears, Clemont staring downwards in shame, and everyone else stood speechless. Pikachu, the only one who understood, whose cheeks sparked threateningly with rampant lightning, was crying, just as Ash was.

"Professor just – just give me my _loyal _Pokémon, and I'll leave," Ash said.

"No," Oak had the gall to reply, "they're safe in the lab–"

"Shut up!" Ash wiped his eyes with his sleeve, "Move! I won't hesitate to give Pikachu the command! I'm sure he'd _love _to get at you all!"

"Pikachu!"

"You haven't just betrayed me; you've betrayed both of us! After everything that we've done for you people! If I were you, I'd _comply_, Oak. You of all people know how powerful Pikachu can be! Now—"

Ash didn't get to finish. He was silenced when a sudden, deafening sound of shattering glass boomed across the sky. When Ash looked up, the sky had ominously lost all its stars and the moon beautifying it. Complete darkness enveloped everything. Suddenly, Ash could hardly see the traitors standing two steps away.

Like the blip of a TV switching on, a kaleidoscopic cylinder appeared, unnaturally embedded in the blackout sky like the sprawling roots of a tree, something entirely otherworldly. Curiously glancing at the phenomenon was the last thing Ash did before chaos disabled his rationality.

Falling faster and more destructive than a meteorite, a familiar, dreaded purple laser materialised from an apparent nothingness in the sky and plummeted into the centre of the group. The Hyper Beam tore the ground apart, ripping up boulder-sized clumps of dirt and grass, embedding a deep crater into the field. The shockwave from the blast hurled each member of the group across the plain, scattering them effortlessly into the air.

Caught directly in it, Ash was blasted backwards; he instinctively caught Pikachu before clattering to the ground at least ten metres away. A storm of indiscriminate attacks followed, each savage ray wrecking the terrain into divots and splintering the fencing, tainting the perfect-green-grass red.

Another blast almost hit Ash, landing a millimetre away, launching him from point-blank into the glass doorway of the lab. He shattered through it, an agonising tear ripping into his side. He screamed and collapsed to the ground after harshly colliding with a pillar. A third Hyper Beam crashed into the roof, toppling the steel which collapsed on top of them. They were spared fatalities though, thanks to a crooked steel beam halting the roof, that left a tiny pocket for breathing.

Ash was dazed; nothing he thought was coherent or meaningful, he only felt the fresh cuts slowly pealing open, and aches everywhere that would undoubtedly bruise. Whatever chaos was happening outside – the tortured screams, harrowing cracking sounds he knew were bones breaking, and the repeated explosions – clobbered his head until it ached even more, but the only sensical thought he had told him to escape.

Coughing and blinking when rotten dust flurried into his mouth, nose, and eyes, Ash tried to move, but his sore muscles blazed, his body tensing in brief paralysis. He groaned and tried again. His back grazed the unmoving steel above him, and he fell at the sudden sting of the cold metal.

Realising getting up was impossible, Ash took a moment to collect himself with a calmness that was only attained by experiencing similar situations. He knew that, while trapped under the rubble, he was safe from further harm unless it toppled, something that panic often prevented people from realising.

Ash examined Pikachu first for any injuries, and then checked himself for the severity of his. Aside from his unconsciousness, Pikachu seemed fine to Ash's relief; Ash was glad he was able to protect him, no matter how hurt he was. Cradling the electric-mouse close to his chest, Ash rolled over to face the rubble above him, a difficult task in such a confined space.

Pushing hard on the rubble proved pointless. It didn't budge, or rather, Ash didn't have the strength to move it, whether it was mental or physical. Whatever the cause, he felt drained. Feeling defeated, Ash slumped, panted, and shut his eyes. Maybe, if he regained some energy, he could move the rubble.

Outside, things hadn't calmed down. The mayhem and an overpowering scent of blood invaded Ash's senses. Blindly, Ash hoped Serena was okay. He couldn't help it: he loved her too much. Reality quickly rushed back to him as his heart ached to remember her words, dislodging his memory from the temporary blockade created by shock. His heartbreak revived his desire to escape. Serena revived his desire to escape. It was always Serena.

Craning his neck and opening his eyes, Ash saw a blurry world. The pain was finally beginning to overpower his adrenaline. He knew he had to escape quickly.

Through a gap in the rubble, Ash deduced some red, spherical objects scattered on the ground. If they were his loyal Pokémon, his chances were higher. Exhibiting a determination that he had forgotten he had, straining his muscles, Ash pushed on the rubble again, this time inching it upwards a few centimetres, grunting. His efforts allowed him enough room to wriggle free.

Spent after shimmying out just in time for his arms to fail, Ash fell at the foot of the table the Pokéballs sat atop. Using the last of his energy, Ash grabbed the leg of the small table and pulled it. It fell, littering the contents over the floor, the Pokéballs rolled across the room. With the state the lab was in, he didn't care about a few more shattered glasses.

Crawling to and gathering the Pokéballs – his obscured vision caused him to miss them a few times and he only picked up four of the six – Ash tossed one as forcefully as he could into the air. When the Pokémon appeared, his flaming mane was unmistakable.

"Infernape," Ash slurred, "lead us outta here!"

The loyal Pokémon cried, and bounded over to Ash, looping his trainer's frail arm over his shoulder. They exited the lab, and Ash's heart died even more. Pallet Town's beauty was gone; the houses were scattered rubble now, edged with walls of fire, the paths were cracked and upturned, and people ran in a panic. It was a war zone.

Wanting to help, Ash slipped from under Infernape's arm but tumbled down Oak's hill. He didn't notice his hat disappear from his head, blowing into the frenzy. Staring up at the sky when he stilled at the bottom of the hill, Ash saw a purple light block another looming Hyper Beam before he lost consciousness.

* * *

The world re-focused for Ash in Viridian Forest. The chaos was gone now, the silence of the forest around him somehow overpowering. It hadn't been like that when he'd arrived. Through a gap in the trees, the first glimmer of morning light appeared. How long had he been out?

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted. Ash painfully looked at his partner, then at Infernape.

"Hey guys," he said weakly, "we got out?" Infernape nodded. "Awesome… What do we do now?"

"Pika…"

"Yeah, we can't go back," Ash agreed, his mind hazy to the events because of his exhaustion.

"Infernape! Nape!"

"Viridian Airport? Yeah. We should leave. Good idea."

Ash stumbled to his feet using Infernape's arm as a crutch; Pikachu supported his legs as best as was possible. Ash headed for Viridian, an impulsive plan set, but the journey was long and painful. Through the winding paths and the vacant long-grass, Ash arrived in Viridian in double or triple the time he'd run the forest earlier.

People stared at Ash as he trudged through the door, but he didn't care. Reaching the desk, Ash asked for a ticket to the furthest region from Kanto in a sentence interrupted by coughs and heaving. The woman asked about his condition, but he told her he just wanted to leave; he almost begged her for the ticket.

Twenty minutes later, he collapsed again into a hard but somehow comfortable plane-seat. Blanketed in dust and ash, and marred with cuts, Ash looked like a mess, but his only care was for sleep.

As the plane lifted off and his eyelids closed, Ash thought one thing:

_I__'__m sorry, Mum._


	4. Chapter 3: The Aftermath

Chapter 3:

The Aftermath

By dawn, Pallet Town's night-time tragedy headlined every TV-channel in Kanto with the same, haunting message:

**Aspiring Pokémon Trainer, Ash Ketchum, found dead after Pallet Town catastrophe.**

Following Ash's escape, Hyper Beams had rained for a subsequent thirty minutes, each laser excavating the earth, destroying homes, and injuring the citizens. Cavernous holes now sank in places paths once were, rubble replaced the rustic architecture that provided the small town with its welcoming mien, and ashes and embers and dying flames littered the former settlement. Pallet Town was destroyed, all except the quaint white house mercifully positioned at the border. Ash's house.

Through the night ambulances came and went. Officer Jenny and the police took trembling statements, jotting endless lines into their black books. It wasn't much before three o'clock that the less injured could rest and begin to wonder where the invisible creature that assaulted them had vanished.

Nobody had even clocked Ash's disappearance until Delia Ketchum herself discovered his charred, ashy hat protruding out of the wreckage while providing aid. Firstly, he was ruled missing, and then the media arrived, who invented a tragedy with their loose evidence. Grief soon overpowered Pallet's natives, and the fabrication became the twisted truth. Delia wept until sunrise.

In the staff rooms of Viridian's Pokémon Center, Brock awoke Saturday morning ecstatic from another successful day at work. In the last year, Brock's career had flourished. More jobs spiked his recognition and popularity as a Pokémon doctor, earning him the notability he deserved. His life was perfect, and Ash had called him a few days before to announce his return: he couldn't wait to see him again. Then Brock switched on the television at breakfast, skimming the headline but comprehending the words a dreadful syllable at a time. He felt his heart die, and his gourmet plate phased through his fingers, fracturing against the waxed wooden floor.

_W-What?! Ash is__—_He unmuted the TV immediately, fumbling the remote.

"-last night. According to the survivors, there were several injuries, but no deaths. However, later that morning, at one-forty-four AM, a single death was registered. It was a boy that was known as Ash Ketchum, whom, our sources tell us, had just returned to Kanto from competing in the Kalos Pokémon League Finals. Now, here is our correspondent at the scene. Amy, what further information can you tell us?"

Brock didn't wait to hear the rest; he rushed out the front door and ran through the nearly abandoned forest to Pallet Town, his panicked thoughts all concerning Ash's fate. Step after step, turn after turn, Brock's heart hammered faster and faster. He begged to Arceus that the news about Ash wasn't real, that when he knocked on the Ketchum's door, Ash would be stood on the other side, his spirited voice rejoicing as they reunited with a worry-alleviating, brotherly-embrace.

When he arrived, Brock witnessed Pallet's shambolic remains first-hand, confirming the town's tragedy was true. Its state was pitiful, and to Brock, it all seemed impossible; not two days earlier, he had been there on an errand for Nurse Joy, and the buildings had been standing as solidly as Regigigas. The preciousness of time seemed tangible now.

Brock hardly stopped running until he got into town, where he spontaneously decided to check Professor Oak's lab. It was the closest place he could get answers from.

Climbing the hill to the top – wheezing painfully and yearning for Ash's safety – Brock stumbled into a hole where the door used to be. The lab was as devasted as he'd expected after seeing the rest of Pallet. Glass shards from the blown-out windows were as frequent as dust on the floor. Large cracks in the walls were the new wallpaper, and the collapsed chunks of the roof were the new decoration. It was a building out of an apocalypse.

The scent of coffee overwhelmed Brock immediately as he breached the doorway. His arrival seemed to stun the bunkers lazing noiselessly within, grasping mugs and wrapped in blankets. The grave silence as they stared at him was not a good sign for Ash's fate.

Brock saw Misty, May, and Max, the Kalos companions Ash had told him about over video chat, Tracey, Drew, and some workers sitting around. Everybody inside was either marred by plasters or plastered with bandages that covered their arms, legs, heads, bodies. May and Tracey even worse slings, and Misty held a pair of crutches. Brock would not have been surprised if someone told him he had mistakenly entered a hospital ward. But something else concerned Brock too. Why were they all there?

"Oh, Arceus…" Brock muttered, looking between their injuries and their eyes, the latter worrying him even more. Sadness was a commonly shared appearance.

"Brock…" Misty said, her voice watery and wavering.

"T–Tell me it's not true…" Brock whispered. Misty whimpered, fresh tears bursting from her eyes, covering the stains of the previous ones on her cheeks.

"N-No… No, no, no…" Brock backed up until his back hit the wall, which he slid down, dropping his head in his hands. "H-How… No, he was – no…"

"It-It happened so fast. We were," May hesitated, hiding her lips beneath her hands, "talking, and then whatever it was attacked. Ash he-he disappeared in the middle of it. When the police got here, they said that he – died."

"But–" Brock's voice cracked. "Did you check? I mean, if you didn't see that he did, how can you know for sure?"

"W-Well," Drew started, a fraction of something unusual in his eyes – nervousness.

"Yes, I saw him," Professor Oak said, suddenly appearing in the room. Hearing Oak's voice, Brock scrambled to his feet. Brock was crying, but, like a flick of a switch, his mood changed from depressed to angry. A few nights ago, Samuel Oak had called him with a preposition. He wanted Brock to turn against Ash, to convince him to stop being a trainer.

Glaring harder than the move, pinning Oak in his vision, the man that tried to turn him against his best friend, his brother, Brock noticed he did not seem sad at the loss of his prodigy. In fact, Oak barely showed any emotion. Brock was sickened, as if looking at the Professor made him less of a human. But, after his desperate phone call, Brock guessed the Professor was incapable, too egocentric to wear emotions.

"As if I can believe what _you _say anymore, you traitor!" Brock shouted.

"Believe what you want, Harrison. It's the truth." He hated the man, but one thing Oak had never done was lie. Brock could not spot any tells of fabrication in his manners.

"No – No, this can't be happening…" Brock's knees hit the ground hard. Nothing phased Brock usually. It rarely had. He was rarely dispirited whenever he was rejected by women, he did not brood when he lost battles. But, incomparable to his identity, his boulder-like heart cracked into craggy pebbles. He tried looking to somebody, anybody, for some hope, but only sorrowful peeps replied.

Brock lowered his head, joining them in mourning, and the room became as silent as a vacuum. For five minutes Brock cried a thousand tears as he remembered Ash, his lively smile, his cheerful laugh, his boundless compassion, his fierce determination and recklessness. Even so, each beat of Brock's heart was a punch of desperate denial as he tried to fight the idea that Ash was gone. He yearned for it not to be true because he could not conceive living without Ash. But his heart ached because he knew, deep down, he had to accept it.

It was hard to accept. Last night, Brock did not lose his best friend: he lost his brother; it felt identical to losing one of his by-blood-siblings. That feeling was something he would never truly conquer. Brock could hardly imagine Pikachu's grief. But at least he could share the grief with the rest of Ash's friends.

Suddenly, Brock felt uneasy. Something tickled his brain when he thought of Ash's other friends. He pondered the question again: why were they all there? Then, Brock gasped aloud, the reason immersing him in a blind rage. Oak must have called them too.

If there was one emotion that could invade the omnipotent sadness, it was anger.

"_Oak_," Brock growled, "before Ash died, did you do it? Did you betray him?"

"Don't use such derogatory terms. We did what was necessary–"

As fast as a Geodude buffed by Rock Polish, Brock was on his feet, and, in a blink, he hoisted Oak between himself and the nearest wall. Oak's face contorted into a blend of bewilderment and discomforted pain. Brock glared; he didn't notice the bystanders frightfully leaping out of their seats.

"_We_?! Tell me you didn't do it! Tell me!"

"W-What are you insinuating?! I didn't kill Ash! Why would you even assume such a—?"

Brock pushed his fists harder into Oak's shoulders. He winced. "Don't play dumb with me, _Oak_! Did you do it – get everyone to betray Ash?! Was that the last thing that happened to him before he died? Was that his dying memory?!"

The extensive silence that followed answered for Oak, who was too stubborn to reply. Brock dropped him to the ground.

"Are you being serious?! You _seriously_ did it?! You even said all of that – that crap about being his father figure?! Do you know how much that means – meant to Ash?! I can't believe this!" Exasperated, Brock turned away, and he saw the others looking on.

"The rest of you, too? Misty, Ash changed your life – literally! Max, how do you think you're so smart when it comes to Pokémon, huh? And May, I guess he wasn't good enough. He only helped make you the trainer you are today. How could you, all of you?" Brock furiously stormed towards the door, shaking his head. Beside the door stood a honey-haired, blue-eyed beauty who was trembling. Brock quickly deduced her as Serena from Ash's descriptions, the girl Ash told him he loved. He said his farewell pointedly to her.

"All of you are despicable."

Marching back into the mild Kantonian morning, abandoning the vile betrayers to wallow in his words, Brock knew where he was going. Mrs Ketchum should not be alone after losing her son.

* * *

Clemont escaped Professor Oak's lab warily after Brock left. Reaching the boundary of the ranch where the hills restricted further development, he pathetically vaulted the fence and sauntered away, his shoulders sagging.

Clemont needed some alone time away from the Professor. In the lab, monitors stalked his every movement where Oak's Spearow eyes couldn't follow, instilling a requirement to obey that he was averse to accept. He wasn't allowed to criticise or reprimand Oak without consequences. Alternatively, in the concealing forest, he could wander without detection, and release the acidic emotions in his chest that climbed for liberation. The truth the brown-haired man spoke only worsened Clemont's predicament: they _were _despicable.

Clemont felt like a coward. He was gutless and weak, two coinciding qualities that stopped him from enacting his duty as Ash's friend last night. Since Clemont and Bonnie were invited to Kanto and informed of Professor Oak's plan for Ash, Clemont had been neglectfully recluse. He had promptly rejected the Professor's ideas, wondering just how much his TV persona was a façade. However, intimidation overpowered him, and Clemont succumbed. Like in the schoolyards of his youth, the stronger, more confident individuals – the bullies – hounded him relentlessly until his will was as potent as dust and he upheld their wishes. This time, the weight of their deed was pulverising. He had betrayed his best friend, and now he was dead, leaving no way for reconciliation, was it at all possible.

Clemont slumped against a tree and lay his head in his hands, weeping. He hated himself for what he'd done and what Bonnie had been coerced to do too. His innocent, precious sister had not completely understood the immorality in their plan, so she was easily manipulated by the Professor's words. She was yet another person Clemont had failed to protect.

Dishearteningly, he had had a chance to revoke his actions when Ash consulted him directly, yet, out of fear, he chose to foolishly withhold his opinions, even when the person from whom he sapped his courage had stood five-feet away. And now Ash was gone. Now, Clemont's courage would never return. The diffidence he had a year ago would reform, and his weakness would get him kicked out of his gym again. Without Ash, Clemont felt hollow. Without Ash, nothing would be good again.

Finally sat alone, Clemont overdosed on his sadness. Tears erupted from his eyes, and he hammered his fists against a tree until they were painfully red-raw. That pain was the least he deserved, but he knew it was incomparable to what Ash had felt. The last time Clemont cried was when his mother had died, but his grief felt different this time. The salty water gushing down his face felt like acid engraving burns on his cheeks that would forever remind him of his abhorrent choices.

Clemont looked up at the sky, imagining that Ash had gone to heaven. "I'm sorry, Ash!" Clemont yelled, falling limply against the tree. The forest echoed him once, twice, then the sound was lost to nature, never to reach the target of its utterance.

* * *

Calmed from his anger by the walk through the new barrenness isolating Ash's former house, Brock knocked on the white door purposefully. Delia was quick to open the door. Realising it was Brock, Delia's cheeks smoothed from a despairing expression until they were elfin. She looked pleased, as much as possible given the circumstances. There was a definite woefulness permeating in her eyes that she struggled to conceal, and evidence of tears blemished her cheeks.

Delia sounded remarkably frail when she spoke. "Hello, Brock," she whispered. "I assume you heard—" Brock swiftly nodded to prevent giving Delia the hardship of saying it aloud.

"Yes, I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Brock. I'm sure this has had a big effect on you too. Please, come in. I've just been talking with three more of Ash's friends."

Accepting her proposal, Brock stepped into the house. Withholding his impolite desire to hug away her grief, and wondering who she was speaking with, Brock paused for Delia. Earlier, he had been too much of an emotional wreck to assign names to faces and discern who had adhered to Oak's plan. Brock knew Dawn had not been there. She contacted him a week before the engagement to vent her anxiousness after Oak asked her about it too. When Brock entered the living room, he couldn't believe who sat there, casually sipping tea.

James, Jessie, and Meowth: Team Rocket.

Brock recoiled, wielding his accusation-finger. They looked as surprised to see him as he was to see them, panicked even. "Team Rocket?! What are you doing here?!"

"Ughh, shut—"

"It's a long story," James interrupted Jessie, receiving a glare for it. "Essentially, we're here because—"

"Mrs Ketchum, do you know who these people are?" Brock interrupted this time, assuming Delia had been deceived by them. "They aren't Ash's close friends. They're the people that always try to kidnap Pokémon!"

"Brock it's—"

"Leave Mrs Ketchum alone right now! You have no idea what she's going through!"

"Honestly, twerp-senior, we _do_ knowwhat she's going through," Meowth said, folding his arms.

"What are you talking about?" Brock demanded.

"Brock, dear, please take a seat. We'll explain everything to you."

Eyeing Delia, then Team Rocket, then Delia again, Brock sceptically sat opposite the trio, ensuring his eyes would not leave them for a second. Delia sat beside him. However, when they started talking, Brock realised his mistake, no matter how justifiable his automatic caution was.

"James, why don't you explain?" Delia offered.

Ever the gentleman, James nodded, "Of course, ma'am. You see, Brock, we arrived home from the Kalos region two weeks ago, which would turn out to be two weeks before the twerp – Ash, my apologies, would come home. At that time, we'd been consumed by our desire to be recognised as true crooks, villains, whatever, by Giovanni, because, when you get involved with him, nobody wants to disappoint him. You don't know how truly terrifying Giovanni can be."

Delia's twitch went unnoticed.

"As is routine, we returned to Team Rocket's base of operations to file our yearly report. However, we saw something utterly terrifying and – things happened. Since the Rocket Bunker is the only home we've known for years, and we are wanted criminals here in Kanto, we spent two weeks scraping by. By happenchance, we were in Viridian City yesterday when Ash arrived home. We decided to welcome him back, but not by being evil or mean. We merely wanted to tell him what had happened.

"We followed him to Pallet Town, albeit at quite a distance so as not to provoke him. However, we lost him when he dashed home. Knowing he would go to the Professor's Pokémon Ranch – we've done our research on where his Pokémon are kept you see – we waited in the woods. How were we to know what that mad professor and all of Ash's old companions had planned? We witnessed everything: Oak belittling Ash, telling him to give up, his friends agreeing—"

"His Pokémon too! Although, not all of them were there from what I heard," Meowth interposed,

"—and then the attack. Like everybody else, we didn't see what attacked. We fled. But you can imagine our panic in such a situation. Now, you might be wondering what that has to do with us being here. Well, we've followed Ash on his journey for six years now and being around somebody for so long forms a deep bond with them, even if the interactions haven't always been friendly. We felt the news of his death quite heavily, almost like losing one of our own. The reason we have paid Mrs Ketchum a visit is to give our condolences and apologise for our actions towards Ash in the past. Yes, it doesn't fit our character, but, and I speak for the three of us when I say this, we're very sorry for our actions over the years." James bowed his head, Jessie and Meowth followed, the former hesitant at first.

Brock sat in amazement. Firstly, he was in awe of their respectfulness and courage to even approach the house, let alone apologise directly, and secondly, because of the evident sincerity they used. The trio he'd always known had vanished. There had always been signs that they weren't as evil as they seemed, at least, for James. Perhaps this was their awakening, their apogee where the realisation of how unnecessarily self-destructive their lifestyle was would change them for the better. Brock hoped so.

"Also, Brock, they were the ones that told me of Professor Oak's plan. As devasted as I am, I'm glad they told me."

"Yeah, I mean, I figured she ought to know so she can avoid that guy," Jessie suddenly livened, smirking, "or maybe get some revenge! If so, I have loads of ideas—"

"Jessie!" the Rocket males shouted.

"Right, right, sorry!"

"Honestly, I respect you a lot for doing this. I'm sure Ash would have respected your actions too. He knew you weren't all bad, and it looks like he was right." The reformed trio responded with nods and smiles. Next, Brock looked at Delia with a blue face, "And I have to apologise to you, Mrs Ketchum. I knew what Oak was planning, but I didn't even consider calling to warn you. As much as it would have broken Ash to hear such a thing – as much as we know it did – knowing sooner could have prevented his death…"

"No, Brock, don't blame yourself, please!" Delia exclaimed, "Nobody is to blame, not even Professor Oak, as much as I hate to admit it. Whatever attacked Pallet Town last night is to blame. We were unprepared. There was nothing we could do."

"Indeed," Meowth said, "we couldn't even see the creature, so there was no way to prevent it. If only it could've been one of the others…"

Delia stared at him with a motherly sternness that made him flinch, "Now Meowth, we mustn't talk like that! No matter how much we think it."

"Sorry, ma'am! A force of habit."

Reclining in his chair, Brock took a moment's pause, feeling strangely closer to Ash learning of the events last night. All that remained were memories of adventures that would never fade from Brock's heart, but that meant Ash was still with him. There, Ash would thrive forever, living like he always had. He wasn't dead at all.

Brock considered bringing-up the unreliability of not seeing Ash's body, however, considering the possibility of giving Delia false-hope, Brock refrained.

"What are your plans from now on?" Delia asked Team Rocket when Brock readjusted to the conversation.

"Well, we bought plane tickets yesterday morning, so we're going to a new region in about an hour to start anew, possibly," James replied.

"That's a good idea, but keep in touch, alright? You're good people at heart."

"Of course, Brock." He and James shook hands, sealing their new friendship.

"I agree. Please keep in touch where possible," Delia agreed. "What region are you going to?"

"Oh, some faraway place called the Alola region."

* * *

_Alola to Alola! _Wispily slathered on an ornate and exotic signboard, that was the first thing Ash saw after disembarking the plane.

As he wandered the airport, Ash did not have the will nor the energy to ward-off the concerned eyes centring on him thanks to his filthy appearance. Although, Ash wasn't physically exhausted: he and Pikachu nearly slept for the full twenty-four-hour flight after enduring the draining punch of the Hyper Beams. Instead, a mental lethargy depleted his strength, something that was sustained by false, self-loathing thoughts he created using the hateful comments his friends used.

_I__'__m weak, pathetic._

_Serena hates me._

_My Pokémon hate me. _

_I should give up. _

His mind was a thunderstorm, raging towards a predatory depression perched, waiting, on the horizon.

While Ash drowned in darkness, the new island bathed in a magnificent starry sky, that was entirely vacant of clouds and smoke, beautifying darkness' ambience, as midnight ambled nearer.

Ash wandered the moonlit streets without purpose or a goal, disregarding a magnificent view of a starry sky he had once been eager to witness and commemorate. Pikachu was the same, his eyes glassy and unfocused, paws tucked as close to his furry chest as was possible. He shared only a fraction of Ash's grief: he had not been betrayed by the girl he loved.

The border of the city, where the mini-metropolis merged with nature, passed Ash by five minutes later, and in five more he was swallowed by the dense forest that engulfed the island in a contorted crescent shape, filled with peaking mountains, and jungle-like growth and trees. It spanned broadly in all directions, wide enough to conceal numerous small villages within it. The stout trees budding healthy green leaves created an expansive, gleaming canopy which parted in scattered sections, blessing the flora beneath with light.

Trekking aimlessly for an hour, Ash stumbled into a rare glade. Shrugging away a metre-tall bush with his shoulder, he stepped into a cluttered expanse: two worn logs rested side-by-side, a metre apart, slanted to face each other, and not six steps away a great pond expanded that reflected the moonlight with a shimmer. Ash could see the radial, crepuscular rays shining down through the leaves. The familiar sight of a camp in the woods charmed Ash, but only fleetingly. His anguish shortly returned with the force of a geyser. He fell to the floor, and that's when his loosely reigned emotions broke free.

Perhaps the forest had been Ash's unconscious goal, a ploy to isolate him from the good-willed probing of the natives, giving his emotions an open battlefield to wage their war to its climax: Ash's break-down. After all, the battlefield was Ash's second home, maybe his first now considering he fled Pallet Town, which lay in ruins, remnants of its former humbleness.

Submitting to the battle within, the first tears Ash shed since the ordeal burst his eyes. Twenty-four-hours of stored sadness gushed out of him. He wept, sobbed, gasped, yelled, curled up in the foetal position, hoping somehow that would dull the pain in his heart that soon became physical. An hour passed, then a second. Pikachu sadly observed Ash and had a breakdown himself. By the third-hours' chime, the broken pair cried themselves to sleep.


	5. Chapter 4: A Similiar Story

Chapter 4:

A Similar Story

When dawn bloomed, the placid night sky transformed into the brightest corner of the earth. As if the sky was the sun itself, a warm orange radiance broke the vast black horizon, expanding like a door slowly opening, filtering light into a dark room. The grey clouds turned violet, and the pale, eerie forest greenery slowly began to gleam. Soon, the different flora were emerald gemstones amid a cave of shadows the canopy created. The navy seas and lakes scattered island-wide turned transparent, rippling against a breeze, revealing the Pokémon bustling beneath the surfaces that were hidden during the night.

At the end of dawn, the world had reversed, yet it maintained its serenity. The sun and the moon were identical opposites.

Ash awoke to a soothing warmth that felt more than the sun. He slowly opened his eyes that were glued together by his tears from the night before; it felt like peeling Velcro. Impossibly, the first thing Ash saw was the flames of Pallet Town flicker across his eyes. Springing upright in a moment of terror as the illusion alluded that his escape was all a dream, Ash relaxed, relieved, realising it was Infernape's flickering, fiery mane.

Ash stretched his arms, wondering why Infernape was out of his Pokéball, and he slapped sleek feathers that fluttered against his touch. The reason became understandable immediately. Infernape was not the only one out of his Pokéball: Staraptor blanketed him with his wide wingspan, Sceptile's tail was Ash's pillow, and Heracross was asleep on his feet, standing like a sentry at a castle's keep. They were caring for him despite not knowing what happened. Ash's lips upturned a millimetre, a growing warmth soothing his battered, awakening heart.

Carefully, Ash traipsed around the sleeping doters and sat against a tree-trunk a distance away. As his grogginess faded, Ash's ruptured heart began to hurt again, and his tormenting thoughts resurfaced. He heard their taunts again, saw their faces in the reflection of his tears.

_So, this is what betrayal feels like,_ Ash thought.

Initially, the shock of the ordeal had numbed the impact, but now he felt the aftermath, the emptiness, the loss, the heartbreak, all twisted together as if replacing his very DNA. His memories constantly looped like a video flicked onto replay.

So far throughout his life, Ash had rarely had to battle with sadness, aside from the few years of bullying in school he hadn't truly understood. He wondered if the power of his sadness now was making up for that, that his grief's unrelenting coil was draining him of every depressive particle in his body. Maybe the ordeal was just that damaging. Whatever the cause, Ash felt he could cry again. He refused to break again, though. He would never heal that way.

Ash tried to distract himself by admiring the pleasing glade instead. The morning was beautiful, yet to Ash, it may as well have been grey. He realised then that he did not recognise where he was at all. His memory of the previous night was filled with blanks; he must have been steered there by sorrow rather than consciousness. He could not even remember the path back to the city.

The morning heat felt hotter than Kalos, but more tolerable somehow, prompting Ash to take off his jacket. He cringed when he saw the condition it was in; black ash, smoke, and dirt camouflaged the white lines and rips ruined the durable fabric. Assuming he looked as filthy as his jacket, he decided to wash himself down at the lake.

The limpid water Ash used to wash his face and athletic arms blackened with grime and blood as it cascaded onto the hard dirt. The water cleansed his fatigue and lessened his aches a little bit too, a revitalising feeling. Ash was hapless, however, as the stinging on his side resurfaced when he moved too much.

Pulling off his shirt, wincing, Ash assessed the damage with a grimace. A sword-width cut slashed his right side apart, edging around to his athletic torso by an inch. Crimson blood cemented on his skin lined the cut and his lower-left side. The scar from that injury was going to be the worst one he had yet out of the countless he accumulated throughout his travels. His chest and torso had purpling bruises tattered across them, too, and little scrapes. Somehow, it was less painful than the chaotic emotions inside him.

"Pikachu?"

Pikachu padded towards Ash; his big eyes were concerned. "Hey, Pikachu. I'm ok, just cleaning up."

The small Pokémon sat at the banking, and after cleaning his wound and slipping his t-shirt on, Ash sat beside him. "Pika."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I know I need some new clothes."

"Pika!"

"You look like crap, too." Ash allowed a small laugh, but he understood the origin of Pikachu's jest. While Ash had to be active and distracted to forget about his grief, Pikachu chose humour. It had always been that way, which was another benefit of their companionship. Pikachu allowed Ash to be active, and Ash could make Pikachu laugh. That thought prompted Ash's next question.

"What're we gonna do now?" Ash paused, "We can't go back. I – can't go and see them. See her." Ash sighed. "How did it all come to this, Pikachu? Did we do something to hurt them?"

Pikachu shook his head, crawling onto Ash's shoulder. "Pika – chu…"

"No, I know I didn't do anything. I _couldn__'__t_ have done anything. We've been in Kalos all year. I guess I – I want to know _why_. It couldn't have only been losing the Kalos League. Maybe it's as they said. They realised I'm a bad trainer and want me to stop. They wouldn't be wrong, though. What have I won besides the Orange League? I never win when it counts," Ash muttered.

"Infernape!" a half-groggy, half-spirited cry from the Flame Pokémon came from behind them. Infernape, semi-awake, was sat on a tree stump, his mane conforming to the wind's current. The other three Pokémon were starting to stir around him.

"Thanks, Infernape," Ash said. "Knowing you think I'm the best is comforting."

"Infernape!" He grinned, "Nape?"

"Oh, right, you guys don't know what happened. I'll explain when the others are up," Ash said, moving over to sit amongst the huddle.

Five minutes later, he began the explanation. It got harder and harder to continue with each passing minute. By the end, of which he reserved for talking about Serena, Ash was tight roping over tears again. He managed to collect himself just before his Pokémon engulfed him in compliments and reassurances, telling him they wouldn't leave. Ash couldn't express his appreciation with words, but, despite his gratification, the negative thoughts clung on. He needed to do something to forget everything, even for a little while, but he knew they would be eternal. They were his internal scars.

Recalling Pikachu's words about his clothes, Ash gathered his things, deciding to go and buy some. He threw his jacket and Pokégear into his bag, noticing something inside he'd forgotten about, and head-out, sending Staraptor to find the city. Pikachu quipped about Ash's awful sense of direction, yet Ash could not laugh knowing the real reason behind his jokes. He hoped Pikachu would be ok more than he wished himself to be.

* * *

Ash was amazed to see the city wasn't a metropolis, but a modest coastal community that flaunted a symbol of paradise.

Entangled in groves of long-grass and trees, small detached houses jutted into nature, their gardens larger than any Ash had seen, brimming with brightly coloured berries and trees, with swimming pools. The bulk of the city was a shopping district filled with independent buildings – businesses, houses, a couple of industry complexes – adjoined to the beachfront by a large pier. Cars were sparse on the roads, and the pavements were tropically beautified by curving palm trees and bordered by a spectrum of flowers from reds to purples to yellows.

Everything was immersed in the rich tropical backdrop. Lumiose, its noise and bustle of screaming vendors, cars, and bellowing conversations, was in a different world than this new city in which the wind and chirping birds were the loudest audible sounds.

It was a small-scale city compared to most, but its people strolled unrestrained, fearless of the roads and jovial to the Pokémon bounding to-and-fro. Ash had never been to such an exotic, liberated place. Despairingly, its simplicity reminded him of Viridian, which only reaffirmed his sadness.

Ash spotted and made sure to remember the locations of a Poké-Center and a Poké-Mart adjacent on a street. Passing through a marketplace, a Charizard flew overhead with somebody a-ride its back, and when Ash looked at the golden-sand beach which soaked-up the bubbly froth of calm waves, someone was riding a Lapras out at sea. It made Ash curious, but the natives seemed more curious of him.

A short, ginger-haired boy plodding along had his eyes locked on Ash as they passed, or more specifically on Pikachu. It made sense since Ash knew it was a new region, so Pikachu likely wasn't a native species. That fact reminded Ash that it was a new region, meaning there were new Pokémon to find and meet. Sadly, Ash could not muster his excitement for adventure from within his crestfallen heart this time, an occurrence that had never happened in his career.

Ash found the clothes shop hidden between a café and a vendor-van after half-an-hour of scouring. Entering the shop, it did not take Ash long to pick out a white and blue striped t-shirt and a pair of three-quarter length black shorts whence inside. He'd rarely chosen his outfits himself, but they were his staple colours. He knew they suited him.

Opting for sports shoes to accommodate his reckless adventuring, he unconsciously picked blue ones to match his style. He copped a black and blue bag from behind the counter too. Forgetting entirely about his hat when he moved to pay, Pikachu leapt from his shoulder to a hat rack, flinging a red cap onto his head. Jumping back, he grinned at his trainer.

Grinning back, Ash took his Pokégear from his bag to pay, but when he clicked the power button, it did not turn on. He groaned, "It's broken…" Ash inhaled, frustrated, wondering whether there was anything else that could go wrong. He now had no money, no way to properly survive more than a week without scavenging the forests.

_Crap, _Ash thought, _it must have been damaged in the chaos_.

Paying with the residue pennies from purchasing his plane ticket, Ash entered the changing rooms and switched outfits, exchanging everything into his new bag from his old one, dumping the tattered outfit into a bin, as if discarding a part of himself.

Ash left the shop to a routine 'please come again' and headed straight to a vendor selling doughnuts to procure a snack for the team. He was starving too.

Getting a doughnut each, Ash moved to a secluded park bench nearby, finally out of money, and recalled his Pokémon to give them their food. Their hunger proved mightier than he'd anticipated when the food disappeared in seconds, and their eyes pled for more.

"Sorry guys, that's all we can get for now. Until we can get this thing fixed," Ash showed his Pokégear, "we can't buy anything, which sucks. We can't even call home at the Poké-Center because of international costs." Ash rustled in his seat, his mind starting to ponder again. "Alright, where to next? I don't want to sit around for too long – sit around and start thinking 'what if?'."

Ash felt ashamed asking his Pokémon for ideas. Maybe that was what made him such a terrible trainer: did he leave everything to his Pokémon rather than making his own decisions, owning his responsibilities? Ash was grateful, though, when they each offered solutions. Sceptile mentioned training, and Ash thought it was perfect. If there was one thing Ash could always rely on to take his mind off things, it was training. Deciding that was the best, they head off to find a place to train.

Walking back through town with an entourage of foreign Pokémon abandoned discretion; everybody stared at Ash – when he wanted nothing more than to be left alone to cope with his emotions – until he crossed the treeline into an enclosed field scattered with some boulders and bushes, an ideal location for practising. Setting down his bag, they began.

* * *

At first, Ash was not able to muster the effort to say more than a move name. Their sparring was sloppy, slow, opposed to Ash's usual dynamic, lively actions. He acted like a fledgeling. Then, as time passed, Ash managed to focus, forget everything for short periods at a time. The battling and action galvanised his heart. After the first dreary hour, he found his rhythm and was able to battle through his thoughts.

Over the hours, Ash pitted each Pokémon against one another. He bellowed out tactics and move names for them to perform. They leapt off trees and the rocks and fought hand-to-hand at close range. Quickly recovering his mojo, Ash's mind was a professional sleuth, determining the right moves for each scenario and the intricate movements needed to avoid each attack. For a random bystander, it would seem like an action sequence you would see at Pokéstar Studios, something orchestrated over months of practice.

"Infernape, Mach Punch consecutively! Pikachu, dodge, and use Iron Tail!"

Watching his Pokémon enact his commands perfectly like they knew his thought process, and feeling the adrenaline cleansing his veins, Ash became a mask of himself, revived on the outside, fighting on the inside. Smiling widely, his eyes incandescent with their revived fire, revelling in the sensation of the battle, Ash commanded the next act, unaware of the onlooker peeking through the treeline, his face framing the astonishment in his eyes.

"Infernape! Flame Wheel!" The flame Pokémon rapidly tucked into a ball of vermillion flames, tearing towards the small electric type. "Pikachu, Quick Attack out of the way!" Pikachu did as Ash said.

The next command delivered by Ash stemmed from his immersion in the battle. He did not realise his command did not include a move. But he had a move in his head, one Pikachu had not used in a long time. "Pikachu, finish it!"

Pikachu dashed forwards anyway, knowingly, a veil of crackling lightning exploding over and behind his small frame. Infernape, completely off-guard, was rocketed back into a tree after receiving the attack. Pikachu flipped once in the air, landing coolly on his paws.

Pikachu yelled aloud, dashing side-to-side, leaping up and down. He ran to Ash's feet who knelt and rustled the fur on his head.

"Woah, that was Volt Tackle!" Ash said. That was the exact move he was thinking of. "Nice work, buddy! You too, Infernape! That was an awesome battle! I guess it's a misconception that if you stop using a move, a Pokémon forgets it." The Flame Pokémon cried his agreement, and Pikachu bragged once more.

Clapping from the trees made Ash jump. He thought a Stun Spore paralysed him when he saw who approached.

"Those were some incredible battling skills, young man! And that Volt Tackle, just wow!"

"What the hell?!" Ash muttered. His eyes were agape in disbelief.

Standing behind him was a man that could have been Professor Oak's twin.

"Allow me to introduce myself: I am Samson Oak."

* * *

The tanner, white-shoulder-length-haired version of Professor Oak led Ash through town. To Ash's relief, Samson did not seem to be Oak's envoy to bring Ash home. Samson led him to a quaint restaurant at nature's boundary on the city's outskirts. It was a small building, but homely whence inside, it's wooden décor a perfect representation of the island-life Ash had so-far seen. And it was busy there, a clear indication of its local status.

They stood silently in line. When they reached the counter, Samson ordered a table-filling list of foods from a green-haired girl poised behind it. Ash saw her peeking at him a few times. Guessing it was most likely because of his injuries, Ash followed Samson to a table, and slid into the booth opposite – his Pokémon clambered in beside him.

"Let me begin by saying, it's nice to meet you, Ash."

"Hang on, you know who I am?" Ash asked.

Samson nodded, "You won't remember me – Pidove – but I have met you before when you were a very young child. I moved here, to the Alola Region, before you were at an age to remember me. I heard you started a journey some years ago now, and I have been following your journey since. I've searched online for the footage of your league battles. I am especially impressed with your runner-up placement this year! Remarkable! As a Pokémon Professor myself, I am quite intrigued as to the nature of your Greninja, but that should wait!" Samson said, chuckling.

"Oh, thanks, Professor." Ash knew Samson was a different man but talking to him was uncomfortably like talking to Samuel. "But, uh, what has a Pidove got to do with anything?"

"Oh, no, no, nothing! I enjoy using Pokémon puns, and Pidove is a forgetful Pokémon! Hahaha!" Maybe it wasn't so similar.

"Pika…"

Pikachu was right. _Oh, Arceus._

"Right… So how come you were watching us battle, Professor?" Ash asked.

"For two reasons, Doublade! Firstly, I wanted to see you battling first-hand. You can't experience it fully from a video screen."

"I hear that!" Ash agreed.

"Right?!" Samson almost vaulted over the table. "Ahem. The second reason. Well… I received a call from my cousin – for the first time in fifteen years might I add – to tell me that you had died, and–"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika?!"

"Indeed–"

"Here you go!" the green-haired girl chirped, sliding their plates onto the table. Neither of them had noticed her approach.

"Ah, thank you," Ash said tepidly. He tried to be as polite as possible, though he couldn't ignore what Samson had just said.

"No problem!" She smiled widely, cutely, at him and skipped away. As the pair continued talking, the food quickly diminished.

"Yes, he told me you died. When I saw you leaving the clothes shop, I was shocked. According to my cousin_,_ someone saw your body after the attack. Apparently, he's kept it on the down-low, so your mother hasn't been told, and neither have your friends. So he says. I'm just disgusted that he sounded as if he was… relieved? Not that that is anything new." Samson explained, sighing at the end.

"Wait, anything new? Do you mean he's acted like that before?" Ash asked. The possibility that Oak had betrayed someone else was comforting, in a twisted way.

"Yes. An incident led to me moving to Alola, and that occurred because of that man betraying me. You see, at first, he and I were partners. I started making discoveries and immortalising my name in the public's eye. He didn't like it. He tarnished my name and reputation, almost forcing me to move out here for something I hadn't done."

"What did he do?" Ash asked, leaning forwards in tandem with Pikachu.

"Identity theft, in a way. He – used my name to fake some awful crimes, like abusing Pokémon, creating evidence for it because of our similarities. All he needed was a wig, and he was able to do it because of his influence. I became hated in Kanto, so I moved out here where people didn't know me. We don't get international television over here, so, unless you specifically search the internet for something from overseas, it is unknown. For example, nobody else would know about you unless they watch Pokémon League tournaments online. Because of this, I could start anew," Samson explained.

Ash couldn't believe Professor Oak had done such a thing. He was suddenly less depressed and angrier now, but only momentarily. "I guess I got lucky, then," Ash responded, looking at his feet.

"How so?"

"Well, something similar happened to me. I got home from Kalos after placing runner up to find that Oak had gathered a lot of my friends. When I got there, they told me to give up on being a trainer, that I was a terrible trainer. My Pokémon agreed – uh, they seemed to agree. The attack let me get away from them, and I decided to get a plane ticket to a random place. I came here. Alola, was it?" Ash said quietly.

Samson reached across the table and patted Ash's shoulder. "My cousin is despicable. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Ash."

"Thanks, Professor, and you too. That must have been hard," Ash said.

"It was. But, Alola is a wonderful place to live, so I'm content with my life now. You got lucky, indeed."

"If you don't mind me asking Professor," Ash folded his arms anxiously, fearing for the answer, "did your cousin say what happened to Pallet Town?"

"He hung up quickly, but he said the Kanto news channel – which Samuel now owns – covered the attack, and that Pallet was completely destroyed."

"No way… That means my mum was in the middle of it all!"

"Oh, of course! I didn't even think."

"Arceus, I hope she's ok. If only my damn Pokégear worked, I could contact her! I can't even use the Poké-Center phone because I have no money! What am I gonna do?!" Ash put his head to the table, suddenly overridden by stress and the desire to know if his mum was ok. He'd missed so much time spent with her while out adventuring. He decided before he left Kalos that he would stop adventuring for a year, spend some time with her to strengthen their bond, reclaim lost time. If she was hurt, he didn't know what he would do. At least she didn't think he was dead.

"I would offer my phone, but I don't have one."

"That wouldn't've been helpful anyway. I can't even remember the number, like a stupid teenager I am. I have it saved on my Pokégear, so I don't memorise it…" Ash sighed.

"Kids relying on technology."

"You don't even have a phone," Ash said, unimpressed.

"I'm an old man on a tropical island. What use do I have for a mobile phone?"

"You make a good point."

"You were supposed to say I'm not old," Samson frowned.

"You said it, not me."

"Oh, never mind that! Don't worry, Ash, there's somebody I know that should be able to help you." Samson said.

"Really?"

"Yes, he'll be at a festival we're holding tonight called the Festival of Honouring." It was Ash's turn to frown. "By your expression, I'd say you're confused. Every year around this time the citizens of the four main islands of Alola meet to honour the Guardian Deities of their respective islands in a manner befitting their natures. Here on Melemele Island, our Guardian Deity, Tapu Koko, is a battler, so we hold a battling festival in his honour."

Four different islands, Guardian Deities, honouring festivals – Ash's adventuring nature was piqued at the notion of experiencing something new, something exciting. The idea of a journey in the new region had not occurred to him yet, but now it sounded interesting. That was the second quality of his to be somewhat revived after the events two days before. Maybe he would be ok, eventually. It would not happen in a single day.

"Guardian Deities?" Ash asked first, needing to know more.

Samson nodded, "Yes. They are Legendary Pokémon. Each deity overlooks the wellbeing of each island, and they each have shrines dedicated to them somewhere on the island. If you follow the trail going north-east through the woods, you'll come out on the path to the Ruins of Conflict, Tapu Koko's shrine. You can also go around the city and through Iki Town, but it takes longer," Samson explained, peering down at his watch.

"Ah, I'm afraid I have to be off now, business and all that. I'll be at the festival tonight. Come and find me, ok? If you want to know more about the Guardian Deities, visiting the shrine is a good way," Samson said, stacking the demolished plates and sliding them to the table's edge. Ash stood as Samson did, reaching across the table to shake his hand.

"Thanks, Professor, for everything. I feel better having talked about things," Ash said, putting his bag on. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder, raising a paw and stating his agreement. He returned the rest of his Pokémon.

"Me too, Ash. I'm glad we had this talk. Now, then, I'll see you later – Flygon!" With a wave and an expression that looked creepily like a Flygon, Samson paid for the food and left. Ash exited the restaurant a few seconds later, catching the girl watching him again, and followed Samson's directions.

The trek through the jungle-like forestry was longer than Ash had anticipated – he was sure he'd ventured the wrong way more than once. Dew-slathered overgrowth slapped against his legs, and the ferns were hard to avoid. He eventually uncovered an open gulley behind a shield of bushes leading uphill – after a few hours. Wondering if it was worth it anymore – Pikachu was clearly tired of aimlessly walking, not that he'd taken a step – Ash started climbing a series of wooden steps that poked out from the earth.

As if a cry from the heavens, Ash heard a terrified scream, forcing his heart into a frenzied acceleration.

"Somebody help!"


	6. Chapter 5: The First Sign

Chapter 5:

The First Sign

Ash dashed earnestly towards the distressed voice, sprinting up the wooden steps and skidding along the zig-zagging path.

Atop the hill lay a gaping gorge where the mountain had bisected, and a rushing waterfall that cascaded into a river hundreds of feet below. At the base of the drop, honed rocks shaped like thick spearheads poked out of the water; some of them were larger than trees and seemed to loom over the vines and ferns cloaking the mountain ledges.

The cliffs on either side of the gorge were connected by a loosely affixed, shoddy wooden bridge that swayed against the gentlest of breezes, like something from the pirate-age. The wooden handrails were snapped in sections, the boards underfoot were crooked and splintered, and the rope securing it was frayed like hair dishevelled by static. It looked precarious, and yet a flock of Spearow was perched on the loose paling. Some more circled in the air, surrounding a different Pokémon that cowered to the cracked boards, it's cloud-like, purple and blue body quivering. A girl lay a few metres out on the bridge, tucked in on herself, clutching the railing. She was trembling even more than the Pokémon.

"I'm coming!" Ash called, guessing that the girl's fear was severe.

Ash hadn't been himself since his old friends eradicated his desire for adventure, his confidence and happiness with their words, but his compassion was constant. It was a pure, impulsive emotion that made helping others his duty even though he had no motive. It was the source of his recklessness, the reason he threw himself into situations mindless of the consequences, such as climbing and jumping off Lumiose Tower and running head-long into the submerging Temple of the Sea.

When the girl's blonde-haired head jerked to him upon his call, when he heard her frail cry and saw the helplessness that was his prompt shimmering in her teary green eyes, he had to help her.

Disregarding its fragile state, Ash darted onto the bridge. The holes between the planks enticed Ash to look down, but he focused on the girl. Every step, the bridge groaned, creaked, and shook, and minuscule chippings of wood plummeted into the river. The bridge itself sagged. Its saving stakes were slowly being uprooted. It was verging on collapse. Ash knew he needed to get the girl off quickly or else they would be dropped into the chasm.

He reached her after a few uncertain steps. Crouching by her side, Ash muttered short reassurances, automatically scanning her for injuries. Tears glossed her eyelids that were clamped shut as if trying to blink away reality and her trembling was unrelenting; she was uninjured but more than terrified.

"It's ok," Ash said softly, "I've got you."

Intending to help her to her feet, Ash cautiously placed his hands onto the girl's shoulders. She flinched at his touch and jostled the bridge; it swayed left and right more than it should have, making Ash slightly unbalanced. The girl whimpered, strangling the wood tighter with her left hand and Ash's top with her right.

Reflexively holding her hand and squeezing, Ash prompted her to look at him. "I'm gonna help you up, ok?" Ash said and stood into a crouch, patiently waiting for her to release the bridge and take his second hand. "I've got you," Ash repeated.

A heartbeat later, using Ash's forearm as her crutch, the girl crawled to her feet. Ash waited until she stabilised her balance then guided her forwards one step. She faltered and fell onto the boards again: the bridge staggered some more. Ash remained patient against the alarm and judgement of his accelerating heart. He gently caught her body, adjusted his hold, and took another step. The cliff-edge was five steps away. Four steps… three… two… one.

The moment that the girl's feet touched solid land, she fell onto her side and released a trembling breath that sounded relieved. She gave a final whimper, sniffled, and spun around, pointing at the bridge.

"S-Save Nebby! Please!" she begged.

Ash whipped around too. Back on the bridge, the Spearow flock were enclosing on the cloud-like Pokémon, swooping in, jabbing their two-pronged talons in torment, squawking.

"Stay with her, Pikachu!" Ash said, dashing onto the bridge again. Pikachu leapt towards the girl but stopped, looking confused, when she scurried backwards.

Ash carefully avoided the Spearow on the railing, ducked beneath the pecking ones, and covered the Pokémon with his body. Swatting at the birds with his right hand while he scooped Nebby into his chest with his left, Ash started to scurry backwards on his hands and feet. Then, Nebby emitted a cry, and Ash's world was dyed purple and blue. Ribbons of light exploded left, right, up, covering him in a sphere. The Spearow were forced away, scattered into the air, and the bridge finally collapsed under the blast's power.

Falling through the air, Ash hugged the Pokémon tighter to his chest and turned his back to the river, suddenly hyperaware of the sharp rock blades waiting to catch him. To impale him.

Certain he wouldn't escape, that his Arceus-gifted luck had ended, Ash thought, _This is it. _He shut his eyes, pondering how his friends betrayed him, how his Pokémon betrayed him, how alone he was until he heard two cries from above.

"Pikachu!"

"No!"

_Pikachu__…_Ash thought, and he remembered he was not truly alone. _Mum __–__ Dad __–__ I__'__m sorry._

As Ash surrendered his life, a figure zapped into the air from the trees atop the cliff. It plunged into the chasm in a streak of electricity. Using what appeared to be two shields, it batted away the spectating Spearow, swooped below Ash, and caught his body as they aligned. Fast as a lightning bolt, the figure ascended again, and Ash had not a moment to realise what happened as the creature promptly landed back on the clifftop and placed Ash beside the girl dressed in white.

The figure flipped over their bodies, twirled in the air, sparks of lightning cracking around its own body, and stared straight at Ash with curious ocean-blue eyes, bounding side-to-side like a poised boxer. Ash stared back, studying the figure in awe.

It had a slim black body and arms, and large, pincer hands. Two yellow, wooden shields, that were patterned with symmetrical markings of a bird's face, were attached to its hands, which were the beak to the bird design. Its lower torso was orange and had four feather-like projections, each a different size. White markings covered its chest and face, and on its head was a tall, saw-shaped orange mohawk tinted yellow at the tips, that shaped its beak.

Immediately, Ash knew it was the Guardian Deity Samson had spoken of. Tapu Koko. It looked too unique to be reproducible.

Ash continued to stare back for a few seconds, curious whether meeting the deity was as easy as that. Knowing his luck meeting Legendary Pokémon, Ash shouldn't have been surprised.

Tapu Koko bellowed a thundering cry, discharged a wave of lightning, dropped two objects into Ash's hands, and shot into the sky like a thunderbolt, disappearing as fast as it had appeared.

After a moment of silence, the girl said, "That was Tapu Koko…"

Regaining his composure at the sound of her distant, awed voice, Ash turned towards the girl. "Are you alright?"

"Me? A-Are _you _ok?!" she countered.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. I've handled worse. How about you? You looked scared out on the bridge," Ash said.

"O-Oh, of course! Yes, I'm ok. Thank you for helping me. I-I, umm, knew the bridge was unstable, but I didn't think it would collapse." Her eyes moved down to the Pokémon in Ash's arms. "Oh, Nebby, you tried using your powers again, didn't you? You know what happened the last time you did that." Nebby gave a protesting cry, and the girl sighed. "I know you were trying to save me last time. Thank you, Nebby. A-And, thank you again–"

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pal–" Ash stopped himself and shivered despite the heat. After everything that had occurred, mentioning his home made him think of the disheartening events instead of imbuing him with pride. That could not be his catchphrase anymore. "And this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Then thank you, Ash. My name is Lillie, and this is Nebby," Lillie said and smiled brightly at Ash.

Seeing Lillie properly for the first time, Ash thought she looked beautiful. She was a slim and elegant girl; her fair skin contrasted the tanned sheens the Alolan natives flaunted. Her eyes were as emerald green as the gleaming forestry and shone as bright as the sun with happiness. Little half-moon eyebrows poked out above them. Beautiful, creamy-butter-blonde hair dangled down her back and over her forehead, stopping at her midriff, with two professional plaits over her shoulders contouring the sides of her pretty face. Her large white sunhat slightly shaded her face when she looked down.

"This is going to sound weird since I just introduced it to you, but… please don't tell anybody about Nebby. It's supposed to be a secret, but Nebby keeps jumping out of my bag and causing problems."

"It's alright," Ash reassured her, readjusting his hat that magically stayed on his head throughout the ordeal, "I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you!" Lillie nodded bashfully at Ash, smiling. She turned to the cloud-like Pokémon. "Come on, Nebby, into the bag." After whining a cry that sounded identical to a complaint from a reluctant child, Ash released Nebby and it bobbed towards the bag. Lillie zipped it back up when Nebby was comfortably inside, leaving a gap.

As she dealt with Nebby, Ash picked up the items Tapu Koko dropped and stood up, offering his hand to Lillie. She took it with a grateful smile, and Ash helped her to her feet. Lillie patted the thin frills rimming her sundress, brushing brown blemishes of dusty dirt off the white fabric.

"What're these?" Ash asked, inspecting the coal-black rock closer, turning it over in his hands, brushing the incisions and engravings with his fingertips. Etched into the stone was a white boomerang-shaped ridge, and below it was an odd hole, almost like a side-ways diamond with two rotated squares on the ends. A white Z was painted over the top of it. The second stone was a bright yellow, diamond-shaped crystal with a marking of a lightning bolt, like Pikachu's tail, embedded in it.

Ash had seen a lot of strange stones – the blue and red orbs, mega stones and their counterpart keystones, the different evolution stones – but they were different. They felt warm against his palm, a strange warmth he had felt before. He could not recognise where from though.

"I'm not sure…" Lillie said, looking only at the black stone.

"Tapu Koko gave them to me."

"That's strange. Tapu Koko is known to be curious, but Kahuna Hala said he rarely goes near people other than himself," Lillie said.

"Kahuna?" Ash asked, benching the stones for later inquiry.

"Yes," Lillie said. "Umm, they are important figures on each of the islands that oversee the Grand Trials and protect the islands. Oh, they are chosen by the Tapu."

"Uh-huh…" Alola was starting to sound more than interesting to Ash. Enlivening, even. What were the Grand Trials? Who were the Kahunas? Comprising what he'd seen and heard about Alola into a mental fact-file, it appeared a different world to anything Ash had experienced before. An enthralling one. "Lillie, were you heading to the ruins too?"

Lillie nodded her head. "Nebby seems to want to go there, so the Professor allowed me to come and have a look. I-If I'd known we had to cross a bridge over the gorge, I never would have come."

"Afraid of heights?"

"Yes, terrified! When Nebby ran onto the bridge and was attacked, I tried to help, to be a bit braver, but I couldn't do it. My legs collapsed, and I couldn't move," Lillie answered, her eyes dispirited.

"You know, the fact that you went out there even though you were scared shows you're brave."

Darting up to meet Ash's, Lillie's green gems flared with joy. "Really?!"

"Yeah! I know a lot of people who wouldn't be brave enough," Ash said.

"That makes me feel better!" Lillie smiled again. She turned towards the path Ash ran up, then back to Ash. "Umm… I know this is too much to ask, but I need to get back to Iki Town. Do you think you could walk us back in case we get attacked by any more Spearow?"

Ash smiled, "Yeah, of course. I need to go to Iki Town anyway to meet Samson."

"Thank you so much! It's just down Mahalo Trail."

"Lead the way!"

They descended the trail at a much more comfortable stroll, the birds chirping in the trees and the bushes rustling, the seriousness dissipated into the air. The sun-baked the earth in the early afternoon; Ash could almost smell the smoky whiff of it burning. Alola's weather was hot, but not draining. Strangely, he felt charged with energy.

"Professor Samson Oak, you mean?" Lillie asked.

"That's the guy. I met him earlier and need to check something," Ash said. "So, that Pokémon's species name isn't Nebby, is it?" Ash asked as they rounded a bend.

"Oh, no, it's just a nickname I created. The species is known as Cosmog, the Nebula Pokémon, which is where I got the name," Lillie timidly explained. "According to another Professor, Cosmog is a very rare Pokémon. That is why we are keeping it a secret."

"Ah, that makes sense," Ash said, and they settled into light chatter as they walked down the trail.

* * *

At the bottom of the gulley, Ash and Lillie ambled out from beneath the shade of two overhanging, tunnelling trees into Iki Town's plaza.

Iki Town was more a settlement than a real town. There were four houses in all, constructed with the bark yielded from the trees that had been deforested to clear the land. It was sectioned off into two levels connected via stone staircases. In the centre of the uppermost plaza stood a square wooden platform, made octagonal by the cropped corners, painted with white tribal-like markings around the inner edges. Opposite, a lone house overlooked the stage like an umpire's throne. An arched entrance sign at the bottom of the steps and wooden fences enclosed it.

Lillie was relieved to be back in town, despite her gratitude to Ash for acting as her guardian and helping her out of her precarious predicament. Ash had stayed so calm throughout the incident, even while he had plummeted down the cliffside, it made Lillie wonder whether her fright and nervousness were childish for her age. Lillie quickly realised it was not her but Ash that was a different age than his appearance. The way he handled the situation was mature as if he had experienced something similar before. Lillie guessed she and Ash were the same age, but Ash seemed a decade wiser in experience.

A man Lillie recognised ran towards them as they stepped further into view, his expression tender and concerned. His outfit, on the other hand, was an alarming assortment. He wore a white lab coat, a baggy pair of grey calf jogger-shorts, green shoes, and a white cap with a rainbow on it. The aspect of his outfit that would be deemed improper in most regions was his lack of a t-shirt – he bared his torso muscled with six stone-abs through his open lab coat. But in Alola some women sauntered the streets wearing bikinis, and some men strolled in shorts alone. Alola's culture wasn't shy of the skin or timid to show it.

"Lillie! Are you alright?! I heard an Explosion level crash! Did something happen?" he asked, his head darting over Lillie like a scanner, then Ash. He was a handsome man, with black hair pulled back in a bun, a beard restricted to his chin, and deep brown eyes.

"Nebby and I are alright, Professor. On our way to the ruins, Nebby was attacked by Spearow and the bridge collapsed, but Ash here saved us," Lillie gestured to Ash, who awkwardly flicked his hand up.

"Ah, I get it! Glad you're a-ok, yeah!" he said, grinning. He turned to Ash, "I gotta thank you then, cousin! The name's Kukui, and I'm a Pokémon Professor here in Alola! Thanks for savin' my assistant! I'd be a mess without her, y'know!"

"I-I'm only learning at the moment. There's so much I don't know," Lillie timidly whispered, looking down with pink cheeks. She could not believe the Professor acclaimed her knowledge, to a stranger no less. She found herself wondering what Ash would think.

"Modest as always," Kukui said, grinning. "Anyway, nice to meet ya, Ash! You don't seem like you're from around here. Did you come to Alola from abroad? On holiday maybe?"

"Ah, yeah, something like that. I came from Kanto," Ash replied, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Woah, Kanto? Awesome! I went to Kanto to take on the Gym Leaders, yeah, but I couldn't beat 'em all! They're pretty strong! 'Specially that Rock guy, Flint! Phew, good times!" Kukui shook his head, a fond smile gracing his lips. "Alright, Lillie, since you're already acquainted and he's new here, why don't ya help Ash find his way around for a few days? Get him used to the sights, the culture. It's a lot different than Kanto out here, yeah."

"Me?" Lillie asked, surprised. She was hardly qualified to teach somebody, especially about Alola. She had been sheltered for a long period of her life, 'protected' from the dangers outside. "I-If you'll let me," Lillie timidly said to Ash.

Ash smiled softly. "Sure. I'd like the help."

"You'll have to give him a run-down of the region sometime! For now, we've got a festival to help set up," Kukui said to Lillie and folded his arms across his rugged chest.

"O-Ok! Whenever you have time, come and find me!" Lillie said, feeling ecstatic that Ash needed her knowledge. She had always thought she was overly studious. While her childhood classmates were fascinated with learning about different Pokémon, types, and moves, as well as information on battling and performing, Lillie had always been more focused on reading books on the lore of the Pokémon world, Pokémon natures and backgrounds, the small details people her age would not consider. She had felt alone at times, but knowing it was paying off now made her more content with how she was living.

"Ya hear that, assistant? It's all down to you!"

"P-Please don't put pressure on me!" For the first time Lillie had heard, Ash laughed, and she joined in too, despite feeling that added pressure like a weighted vest.

"The Kahuna is back!"

Over by the steps, a stout man stomped into the plaza, a floral-print yellow jacket loose on his shoulders, his stocky build protruding from his t-shirt. He walked towards the trio at the stage, each step of his powerful thighs and sandaled feet thumped against the dusty earth. His face was stern with squinted eyes and brows tilted inwards. He had a white moustache and his white hair was tied up in a bun. A Tauros trotted at his side, compliant to his rein.

"Have I missed something? I was out searching the forest, stopping this rampaging Tauros, when I heard a loud crash. For some reason, I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about," The Kahuna said.

"Oh, umm… Yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was attacked on our way to the Ruins of Conflict. Ash here helped protect it, but the bridge collapsed as a result. I thought both of them would fall to the bottom of the ravine, but Tapu Koko swooped in to save them," Lillie explained.

"Woo!" Kukui exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. "That's something you don't hear every day!"

"Ho, is that so?" Hala said, his attention switched on Ash. "Tapu Koko is a fickle creature, yet he saved you… It is rare for anybody to see Tapu Koko… Interesting. I'm glad we got the chance to meet today. I am Hala, the Kahuna of Melelmele Island."

"Nice to meet you, sir. Since you're the Kahuna, if I may, do you know anything about these?" Ash brandished the two stones he received from the deity, and, seeing the second for the first time, Lillie recognised it immediately.

"Could it be?!" Hala exclaimed. "You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge – isn't that what I heard, Ash?"

"Yeah. I guess I'm lucky it was nearby."

"So, he even deigned to give you a sparkling stone and a Z-crystal, hmm? Interesting. Allow me to borrow these stones for now. Fret not! I'll return them to you tomorrow," Hala said. Ash handed him the stones, which he quickly pocketed. "Anyhow, that doesn't interrupt our plans tonight! The preparations for the ceremony must be started immediately! We have to be ready by dusk, haha!" Hala instructed, his voice authoritative. Lillie could see why he was chosen for the position of Kahuna.

Noticing Ash's Pikachu, Hala grinned. "I see you have a Pokémon, Ash. You are a trainer correct?" Ash nodded. "In that case, how would you like to start off our festival tonight by battling my grandson, Hau? He is just getting his first Pokémon today, so it'll be a good challenge for his first battle. I would like to see why Tapu Koko seems to have taken an interest in you."

Ash looked surprised if a little panicked. "Are you sure? I, uh, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Oh, it'll be fine, don't you worry, my boy!"

"If you say so…"

"Pew, pew!"

Lillie flinched, "Ah! Nebby! When did you get out again?!" The group of people surrounding them, excluding Ash who, Lillie knew, was not accustomed to Nebby's sporadic wandering, fell into jovial laughter. Lillie sighed. Taking care of Nebby was a hassle. But she was happy at that moment. Things were starting to look up for her.

* * *

The afternoon burned away under the sun as the people in Iki Town set up for the festival. Resting under a tree while awaiting the arrival of the refreshments, Lillie watched the people moseying and fiddling, her eyes twinkling with joy. The pre-festive atmosphere was already bustling; people laughed and joked, working in harmony. She admired the collective effort everyone donated to make the event spectacular. She felt the geniality in her heart.

"Whaddya doing, man?! Line up the torches evenly distanced, like a Mirror Move!" Kukui frivolously ordered a helper labouring to beautify Iki Town, his smirk a sly invitation for banter.

"Ah, my bad, _boss_!" the man smugly countered, stabbing the three-legged torch into the soft earth. Leaning his builder body against the small frame, he quipped back, "Wear a shirt why don't ya?!"

Kukui laughed soulfully, "Hah! Good work, yeah! This'll be an awesome festival!"

"You know it!"

Lillie was gratified by the jovial back-and-forth between Kukui and his friend. Something Lillie had recently learned was that friendliness was the Alolan people's universal affinity. The people were as close as siblings. They could walk the street and name every one of their passers-by, what type of person they were, and even anticipate their activities that day. Even the evilest of minds, their devious actions antithetical to the majority's, were tight with their dodgy, conspiring circles. It was how people lived and thrived in Alola, the staple of their relationships and companionships. Lillie knew, for that reason, the festival would be enjoyable.

For Lillie, though, her anticipation was deeper than the wonted degree because the Festival of Honouring was the first public event she was going to attend since she was six years old. It was also the first event she was attending with her new friends, a memory she would treasure for longer than their time together. The notion of watching the sunset sink behind the horizon like a fireball immersed in the sea, transfiguring the sky a warm colour Lillie could compare to the fireplace in her childhood home, with her friends was something she ardently desired to do.

The battles were her only worry. Seeing the Pokémon she studied daily getting hurt unnerved her, but it was the worlds' biggest sport, something she was newly keen to witness.

"The food and drinks have arrived!" a vibrant feminine voice called from the steps. Two teens entered the plaza balancing plastic cups and bowls, packets of food and bottles of drinks on trays between them. Lillie joyously rose and skipped to meet them at the tables set-up alongside the wooden fencing.

"Mallow, Kiawe! Alola! You made it!" Lillie cheerfully greeted, relieved they came. If they didn't, her hope for a memorable evening together would have been ruined.

"Alola, Lillie!" Mallow, an alluring girl with long-green-hair tied in twin tails, with a tanned, sun-kissed bodily complexion, said just as joyously. She stood upright a few inches taller than Lillie, whose fairer skin, like snow, seemed to glisten beside her. She slid the items she was carrying onto a tabletop, and said, "We wouldn't miss it! I can't wait for everyone to try some new recipes from Aina Café!"

"Of course we came. Melemele's festival is far superior to the others. I'd have liked to stop by Wela Volcano on the way, though, to pay my respects," Kiawe answered. He was a sturdily built boy with dark-wood-skin and dark brown hair shaped like fire. Three tufts of red hair, also shaped like fire, were ruffled over his forehead and ears. He wore a medallion looped around his neck, something tribal, that hung loosely over his chest and was connected to two pieces of cloth that rested on his shoulders.

Kiawe heaved his load onto a table and wiped his forehead of sweat beaded by his effort. "That's all of it!"

"Thanks for the help, Kiawe!" Mallow cheerily thanked, dusting her hands together.

"No problem! I'll be back in a sec."

As Kiawe wandered away, greeting Professor Kukui and Hala over by the overlooking house – an action Lillie knew he did out of respect – Lillie joined Mallow and unpacked the boxes, neatly arranging the snacks across the wooden tables. The delicacies ranged from magost berry crisps to honey slathered buns, and fizzy drinks to sitrus berry juice.

"All of this looks amazing, Mallow!" Lillie said. She knew personally the blissful stupor Mallow's exotic concoctions instilled. "I-I'm really excited about this festival! I can't wait!"

"Aww, thanks, Lillie! It's going to be amazing!" Mallow said, and she beamed at Lillie. "I've added a bunch of different recipes I came up with myself, so I'm a little nervous about what people will think of them!"

"I'm sure they will love them; you don't have to worry!" Lillie said, smiling, neatly arranging three rows of cups.

When a sufficient amount had been unloaded, Mallow stopped unpacking and grasped Lillie's hands, her grass eyes sparkling with nervous fervour. "So, guess what happened earlier?!" Lillie asked what, and Mallow sighed passion, "I saw _the _most handsome boy ever! I wish you'd have seen him! He came into Aina Café with Professor Oak and a Pikachu!"

Before Lillie could match Ash and Pikachu searching for Samson Oak to the flattering description two short teens, a boy and a girl, approached the pair from the rear. The girl was slight, petite with ocean-blue hair cropped to her shoulders, held from obstructing her lapis eyes by a net-styled bandana, and the boy was plump and baby faced, his ginger-hair was left unbrushed, and a yellow scarf was wrapped around his neck. "Mallow, Lillie! Alola," the girl said.

"Lana, Sophocles, Alola! Ooooh! Come and try my new recipes! I need your opinions before anyone else!" Mallow jumped towards Lana, grabbing her shoulders to steer her food-wards.

"We haven't even been here five seconds and you're already jittery?" Lana muttered.

"Don't you know, Lana? She only acts like a child when it's something serious," Kiawe said, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "And she takes her food _very_ seriously!"

At first, Lillie had found Kiawe's and Kukui's bare-chested attire alarming, but she had grown nonchalant to it to the point of normalcy, not that she had the confidence to show her own skin in public, unlike Mallow who wore a pinky-red cropped top beneath her light-teal overalls. But Lillie had another reason, too.

In the group, Lillie had quickly learned Mallow was scatter-brained, worrisome, but daringly confident, Kiawe could either be as serious as the Kalos War or burning with a white-hot determination only a volcanic eruption could generate. Lana was quiet but secretly as passionate as Kiawe, and Sophocles was a whizz of all things technological, a rare area Lillie was not entirely interested in. Of all their traits, Lillie wished was like Mallow. She wished she had more confidence.

"Oh, be quiet, Kiawe! You're just way too serious for our age!" Mallow huffed, twirling around like a cheerleader.

"No, I'm mature," Kiawe sternly corrected.

"Yet you're a baby around your sister and pray to Wela Volcano in your spare time. Mature alright," Lana deadpanned, shaking her head. Lillie laughed with the rest of her friends, hers a modest giggle hoping not to damage Kiawe's bountiful, Pyroar's pride.

"Come on, Sophocles, back me up here!" Kiawe sought, only for the small boy to flinch away, dismissively swinging his hands in front of him like he was washing a Blastoise's shell.

"D-Don't look at me!" he jittered, and the group laughed again, something Lillie found herself doing more often. She had seen big, positive changes in herself over the past three months. Things were changing for her, for the better. Her current life was so much different than her past. For that, she was eternally thankful.


	7. Chapter 6: The Festival of Honouring

Chapter 6:

The Festival of Honouring

Hau was bubbly and feverish. He introduced himself while jabbing the hot air, donning a smile more expressive than the late afternoon sun. His cactus-green hair tied like the top of a pineapple in an identical bun to Hala's bobbed side to side with his gambolling, his sandal-like shoes scuffing each time he jumped. He shouted his enthusiasm and desire to get his first Pokémon to the air.

Ash found him easily likeable but slightly trying because Hau reminded Ash of how he had been the moment he met his first Pokémon. He had been that way in every region except Sinnoh and Kalos, too. Ash pitied everyone who had had to put up with him. Counter-intuitively, thinking of them dampened his spirits again.

_At least he didn__'__t come in his pyjamas._ Ash thought, reminiscing on the destined handicap that threw him and Pikachu together. Unlike he had, Hau wore the _proper_ attire for a novice trainer: shorts, a t-shirt, a bag.

Ash had been surprised, though, when he saw Hau. Seeing as he was starting his journey that day, Ash had expected a young boy around ten or eleven, but Hau looked Ash's age. He was curious why Hau was only starting his journey now.

The festival was constructed around them as they talked. Tiki-torches nestling vivid flames had been pitched along the pathways, and flowering wreaths of pink and red roses, plumerias, and multi-coloured hibiscuses had been strung on the fences and doors. Tables of refreshments lined the fences, atop which rested some paper lanterns

The festival started a short while after Ash met Hau. Hordes of people from the city crammed into the small town, wandering, hollering animatedly under the orange sky of early dusk. Ash could not believe the uniform gleefulness everyone shared.

The opening ceremony was a speech given by Hala, stood atop the stage, backdropped by a giant, cracking and spitting bonfire.

"Welcome to the annual Festival of Honouring, everybody! Today, we are gathered to convey our gratitude and respect towards Tapu Koko, our Guardian Deity who spends his days protecting our island and keeping the peace. Tapu Koko is a known battler, thus we are going to be battling one another, pitting our best moves against one another in friendly competition to please our guardian! Enjoy tonight as best you can, everybody, and let's make this festival a grand success!"

Ash instinctively joined the cheering and whistling, a true smile on his lips, his thoughts aeons away from the past events. Pikachu yelled from his shoulder, too, and Ash knew he was ok.

When the shouting calmed, Hala squinted straight at Ash rather than his grandson. "To start off, we have a special battle for everybody! Ash, Hau, to your sides of the stage please," he instructed. Glancing over at Hau, Ash eagerly approached his side.

To Ash, battling in the view of such a large crowd was routine; he was nonchalant to the muttering and staring. Lillie had told him not to be nervous, but he couldn't have been even if he wanted to. He thought Hau would be nervous in his inexperience, but he, too, was springing on his toes. That insouciance to the stares fit his character perfectly, Ash realised.

"Before you stands Hau, grandson to the Kahuna. Come up here, Hau!" Hala announced. Hau dashed onto the stage, waving like a celebrity, enticing a roar from the crowd you would hear at a concert or Poké-Sports game. It was clear to Ash that Hau was well known. He figured he would be, being related to the Kahuna, who, Ash noticed, regarded Hau with pride. "Today, we witness young Hau of Iki Town receive his first Pokémon. Here are the three starter Pokémon he may choose from!"

From his jacket, Hala brandished three Pokéballs and tossed them onto the stage. From the first ball, a small, round owl with a leaf crest on its chest and huge eyes popped out. From the second ball came a small, black-furred cat marked with candy red fur in sections, with golden eyes. From the final ball came a small, blue pinniped Pokémon, like a miniature sea lion. Its eyes were big and round, playfulness evident in their wideness.

Respectively, Hala introduced them. "This first one is Rowlet, the Grass-Type starter Pokémon. Next is Litten, the Fire-Type starter. Finally, we have Popplio, the Water-Type starter. Who will you choose Hau?"

"I've always wanted to journey around with Rowlet!" Hau said doubtlessly. Somehow, Ash knew he would choose Rowlet.

"Very well! However, only whence you have chosen each other can you truly call yourselves partners! Now, let's see if Rowlet decides to choose you!" Hala commanded, returning Litten and Popplio.

Nodding, Hau backed a few steps, looking right down into Rowlet's big eyes. Hau hunched, placed his hands to his knees, and waited. And he waited. He waited for almost two minutes. This was something entirely new to Ash. He had never heard of such a ritual to receive a starter Pokémon. Alola really was intriguing.

Rowlet slowly stepped towards Hau; the silent air was tense. When he was at his feet, Hau crouched down and picked up the small owl Pokémon. He stood, and lifted Rowlet gently in his arms, who hooted excitedly. The tenseness transformed into the loudest cheering yet, astounding Ash since it was such a simple gesture.

"Ho! So Rowlet has chosen you, too, Hau! Congratulations! From now, you are an official Pokémon trainer!" Once more, the large crowd filling Iki Town erupted into cheers, shouting compliments at Hau, a wide-scale camaraderie Ash had felt numerous times before. He felt a pang of jealousy as his heart's muscle memory yearned to reclaim that stolen feeling.

Placing Rowlet back on the stage, Hau crouched again. "Nice to meet you, Rowlet! From now on, we'll be partners!"

"Roooowlet!"

"We've got our first battle straight away, so let's do this, Rowlet!"

Hau nodded to Hala, and the elder continued. "Before Hau stands Ash – one who has met with Tapu Koko." That little fact instigated disruptive chatter.

"What?!"

"Hah! What a curious thing Tapu Koko is!"

Ash ignored it. Whenever somebody heard he had met a Legendary Pokémon, they always talked. It was not out of the ordinary, for him at least.

"You ready Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika! Chu, pika!"

"Hah, yeah, let's not do another Snivy. But, don't go all out, alright?" Ash asked, stepping up onto the stage, beside which Lillie watched, surrounded by a group of teens.

"As long as we have a good time, we can call this a good battle, eh?" Hau said, grinning.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. Let's have a good one!"

Hala stepped back. "For all life on our islands and for those who undertake the island challenge with joy in their hearts, we pray for your protection, for them and all Melemele. May this first Pokémon battle be an offering to our island's guardian deity – Tapu Koko. Ash! Hau! Bring forth the power of your Pokémon! Let the battle begin!"

Either startled by the sudden occasion or contemplative about playing his first battle, Hau hesitated, a rookie mistake Ash could not reprimand. Desiring to provide Hau with a memorable first battle, Ash stole his thinking seconds – giving him no time to think would mimic a battle exactly. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called, swiping his arm outwards unintentionally, an automatized performance his body remembered over the years.

Springing weightlessly into the humid air, Pikachu gyrated, lightning materialising around his tiny frame, crackling and fizzing. Crying in determination as he always did, Pikachu unleashed the attack at a down-sized intensity as Ash had suggested, more the power of an average Pikachu. He was not an average Pikachu.

Facing his first-ever attack, Hau was stunned into action. Ash knew the feeling: a sudden realisation that you were in a battle, a shock that gave you a mindwipe, making whatever simulations you had practised without really battling redundant. It opposed whatever you predicted.

Ash knew because he had felt it during his first real trainer battle as he imagined everybody did. He remembered the tenseness and the confusion of not knowing your opponent, not yet versed at calculating them for their strategies. Then he remembered the plague of anxiousness that made you step second. Ash remembered the juvenile feelings fondly.

"Ah!" Hau yelped, "Rowlet, dodge it and use Tackle!" The small owl tried, but the command was too stalled; Rowlet was hit by the bolt.

Falling hard on the wooden stage, then slowly recovering, Rowlet charged at Pikachu with Tackle, whose nerves did not falter. Across the battlefield, Hau's face brightened as an immediate change from anxiousness to thrill formed on his face. Ash knew the battle started now, not at the first move. He felt slightly guilty that the Thunderbolt had hit seeing as it was Hau's first battle.

Ash allowed Pikachu to endure the Tackle, using it to gauge Rowlet's power. His small partner skidded across the wood on his paws only a metre or two; his endurance was beyond a low levelled starter. Pikachu had faced ten times that.

"Use Leafage!" Hau called next, jumping into the air instead of his Pokémon; there Ash saw the excitement igniting in Hau he felt every time he battled.

Rowlet spawned a vortex of leaves from his sharp quills, sending them spiralling towards Pikachu like a baby Leaf Storm.

"Pikachu, duck-and-roll, then Iron Tail!" Ash calmly said, and, like a movement during a parkour improvisation, Pikachu hunched under the attack, his tail steeling mid-dodge. "Left," Ash called, spotting a stream of leaves changing course. "Right!" As soon as Pikachu bypassed the move due to Ash's expert vision, he reclaimed his balance and swivelled, batting Rowlet away faster than was conceivable. "Retreat with Quick Attack!" Ash called, and Pikachu obliged. He could not stay still and wait for a counterattack, no matter if Hau was a rookie.

After some unexperienced seconds of tumbling through the air, the small bird extended his wings to stabilise himself, flapping them in wait for the next move Hau instructed. "Use Tackle!" he called; his enthusiasm was electric. The crowd around him roared their encouragement, but nothing like the deafening sounds of a Pokémon League. Ash was unaffected.

"Pikachu wait for it! Wait…" Ash muttered, squinting at Rowlet's rapid charge. "Now!" he instructed. Pikachu leapt away from the attack just as Rowlet lunged, and the bird crashed into the stage, rolling a short distance. Instead of following up with a Thunderbolt, Ash refrained for Hau's pride, remembering he was not going to go all-out. "Nice work!" he told Pikachu instead.

"Gah! Rowlet, Leafage!" Clambering to his feet, Rowlet released more swirling grass arrows from his wings. They jabbed Pikachu this time, knocking him higher into the air.

"Use the spin to your advantage! Electro Ball!"

"Rowlet, fly up and use Tackle!"

Rowlet soared, shortening their distance by the second. Pikachu's attack missed by a millimetre, and Rowlet surged on. The Tackle hit and Hau instructed Rowlet to do it again, and it hit again, but when the third rep came, Ash was ready, recalling an escape route from the library written in his head. He abandoned holding back, an iota of his heart wanting to show off.

"Pikachu, Draco Meteor Climb!" Grinning as wide as Ash, Pikachu slapped his tail onto Rowlet the moment he was close enough, propelling himself upwards further, mimicking Foul Play to reverse Rowlet's own power against himself.

"Finish it with Thunderbolt!" Ash called, punching the air with his fist. Pikachu spun, electrified, and unleashed the move. Rowlet's unbalance in the air stopped him swooping away: the match was sealed. Electrocuted, Rowlet crashed down onto the platform, laying still for a few moments before Hala called it, and the crowd exploded into awed cheers, but also consolations to Hau's performance. It seemed they knew it was unlikely he'd win his first-ever battle.

"The winner is Ash!"

_The challenger_, Ash added in thought, reiterating that short and uplifting quote he had heard too many times, and yet the surge of accomplishment hit him just as profoundly every time.

"Ahhhhhh, no waaaaay!" Hau yelled over the noise, dropping to his knees dramatically. As if bipolar, Hau leapt to his feet, and yelled, "That was awesome!" He picked up Rowlet and charged at Ash, who crouched down to pet Pikachu, then looked up to meet him. "Dude, what the hell is Draco Meteor Climb?! Where do you come up with something like that?! And how could you dodge that Leafage so well?! C'mon, you gotta tell me!"

Ash laughed, "It's all about training and experience. The more you do, the more you'll learn. The Pokémon World is a place of endless things to experience, and when you see new things, take them as your inspiration. Your adventures are only just beginning, right? Nobody's amazing right from the start, it takes time. But that was a good battle. You handled Rowlet well."

"You think? Nice! Ya hear that, Rowlet? We're not too shabby! Phew, that was a great battle Ash! I had a blast fighting you!"

"Same here!" Ash said and clasped Hau's hand in a firm shake. The crowd applauded the sportsmanship.

Kahuna Hala marched towards the pair, sonic booms resonating with each clap he gave. "What an excellent battle, congratulations to both of you! Hau, you have now properly begun your first step of many along the road of a Pokémon trainer, and the first step towards overtaking your father! Surely with such a battle, Tapu Koko will be–"

"Ko-ko-kooo!"

"Woah, no way!"

"Tapu Koko – can you believe it?!"

"That's never happened before!"

Hala looked back at the forest as if searching for Tapu Koko. He rose a questioning brow, then looked at Ash and smiled. "Ho! You heard it yourself! Tapu Koko's song of approval! Now, everybody, let's get on with the festival!"

Descending the steps as the crowd scattered, Hau walking at his side, Ash heard a female's voice say, "That's him, Lillie, the guy I was talking about!" He looked and saw Lillie smiling his way. It was a congratulatory expression, and Ash smiled back before venturing into the equally congratulatory horde, his mind set on sitrus berry juice. The hot weather had parched his throat.

Ash did not notice the small puppy Pokémon gazing at him, amazed, scampering amongst the swinging feet of the crowd to follow him.

* * *

Ash had frequently toured to countless festivals and celebrations throughout his travels, each a homage to the regions' culture and Legendary Pokémon, or the seasonal holidays. Each one was spectacular, yet similar in its main elements: large gatherings of buoyant expressionists, decorations, food and drinks.

Of all the events he had attended, Ash ranked The Festival of Honouring highly. He associated Iki Town's festival to the gatherings in Pallet Town that occurred infrequently during his youth when the town's residents would amalgamate their small neighbourhoods to celebrate key events and traditions. Iki's smallness yet comforting conviviality was, in Ash's head, Pallet Town's. It was a festival he heartily connected with.

As ever, he wandered, gobbled food and swigged drinks; he blended into the atmosphere, enjoying the festival as anyone else did. He had sauntered into the festivities and chatted to Hau until he left to meet some friends. After that, Ash was left alone to wander on foot, but his head began to wander too. He remembered he was alone out in Alola, present by happenchance, a ghost invading the intimacy pervading the entire plaza.

Lillie was talking to two girls, one of which he recognised from the shop he had visited earlier in the day, and Hau was with two boys; Ash did not want to impede their talks. Hala and Kukui stood to the side, glancing his way sometimes, like parental checks, and Pikachu was entranced by what appeared to be a ketchup bottle. _Typical_, Ash thought. He had nobody to talk to.

His heroic high from saving Lillie on the bridge, the distracting conversations, and his fleetingly joyous battle had deflated, and now what Ash had been fearing since awakening in the grey glade happened. The thoughts, the incessant aching, the inescapable depression that was now hidden in the trees rather than the distant horizon ripped into him. Luckily, his ghostliness prevented anyone seeing the way he gripped his chest and clenched his eyes, trying to stop himself from breaking in the eye of the excitement.

He had had time to comprehend everything now, enough time for the consequential hysteria to subside and for the hollowness to cement itself in him. But it was always going to haunt him, a shadow enclosed around his heart, lingering. To have something to do, Ash decided to find Samson.

About an hour into the festival, when the sun was a semi-circle over the horizon and some people started battling again, the roaring cheers aggravating the storm in his heart, Ash finally found the elusive Samson alongside Kukui and Hala, gossiping something serious, it appeared.

Ash called in greeting, helping Pikachu down to the ground to scamper back into the crowd, who was undoubtedly searching for more food to sate his invisible emotions that Ash _felt_.

"Ah, Alola, Ash! Have you been looking for me – Seaking?!" Samson asked, pulling another face. Ash was going to get tired of those puns very quickly.

"Yeah," Ash replied, "I thought I would come and ask you about fixing my Pokégear."

"Ah, actually, Professor Kukui is the one I said can help you," Samson said.

"A Pokégear, eh? Nah, not me, but yeah, I think Molayne could help ya out! He's a whizz with steel and circuitry. He may need to get some parts from abroad, but he should be able to help!" Kukui said.

That was the first piece of good news. "Thank you, Professor! As soon as he can do it, please!" Ash slipped the device off his wrist and passed it to Kukui, who placed it into his lab coat pocket.

"No worries, kid!"

Ash thanked Kukui again and turned back into the crowd, desperate to get away before they noticed something was wrong, seeing as they all stared quizzically, calculatingly, at him.

When Ash disappeared behind the crowd's wall, Hala frowned. "Samson, if I may return to what we were saying," Hala said, "who _is_ Ash?"

Samson shook his head, "I couldn't tell you. All I know from watching him is that… he's different."

Another hour passed. It was one of nothingness for Ash, who was trying desperately to conceal himself. He watched the battles for most of it, nit-picking their performances like a petty critique, sighing when he realised the extent to his experiences compared to most, and especially those so far estranged from the rest of society, was vast. It was probable that most of the people there had not crossed the borders of the deep-sea secluding Alola.

_Why would they?_ Ash found himself asking. _Alola is a paradise_.

Walking away from the crowd, Ash saw two peculiarly dressed people talking at the steps and stopped.

"So, this is what they call a festival…" the taller one said in a deep, almost robotic voice.

"It does look like people are having fun!" the shorter one, a girl, commented.

"Not that they should," he replied, "this is no time to celebrate! Anyway, the aura measurements are pretty high, so maybe it's not an awful idea to have this festival."

"Are they?" she asked, leaning over to check something in the male's hands.

Ash didn't know why he stopped to eavesdrop on them, but he realised he was probably intruding, so he walked away. He caught one last thing before he departed.

"Indeed, this is an extraordinary event in terms of aura. It's only thanks to The Blinding One that this place is overflowing with such brilliance, though it is left in such a state now, so dark and enfeebled… We cannot contain The Blinding One in our world, but if it _did _come here…"

It was nearly dark now; the timeless horizon had finally disappeared. Things quietened down in tandem with nature, though the sounds of the festivities did not.

Boredom making him restless once more, Ash wandered around the area again. He noticed Pikachu speaking with some species Ash had not seen before; a small bird, a puppy – the same one that had been following him – and another. _Is that a black Ratatta?_ Ash wondered, unsure if his eyes were too tired.

A minute later, Ash saw Lillie sat alone at the crest of the steps, where the oddly dressed duo had been, looking out across the sky.

"Hey, Lillie," Ash said, giving her a light way.

The timid girl jumped. "Oh! Ash, hello!"

"Can I join you?"

"O-Of course!" Lillie said, smiling. "How are you finding the festival?"

"It's good, yeah. I like the calmness of it," Ash responded. Anticipating Lillie's surprised reaction, he said, "I only mean it's calmer than festivals that happen in big cities."

"Oh, I see! Yes, you're right, not that I have ever been to any. You must have been to a few?" Lillie said, looking down.

"Yeah, one or two…" Noticing that made her a little upset, Ash changed the topic. "So, I was wondering if you could tell me about Alola. I've had my fill of the festival, and I'm interested," Ash said.

That immediately made her brighten. "Y-Yes! Of course! What do you want to know?"

Ash shrugged, "Well, anything, really. It's up to you."

Lillie nodded, grinning. She turned face-on to him, resting her legs against the steps to comfort the position. "Ok! As you've probably heard, Alola is made up of four main islands: Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'Ula Island, and Poni Island. Each island has their own Guardian Deity, each of which overlooks their island's safety and protection. Tapu Koko overlooks Melemele, Akala has Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu is on Ula'Ula, and Tapu Fini overlooks Poni Island. Each of them has their own special powers, so, for example, Tapu Koko is very fast and strong with electric and special attacks, while Tapu Lele has the power to heal any injury or scar but is incredibly rare to meet. Well, they all are."

Ash wondered if that related to non-physical injuries.

"The Tapu appoint Island Kahunas. They are powerful trainers that lead and protect everyone with and on behalf of the Tapu. Kahuna Hala, as you know, is Melemele's Kahuna. Now, as for the culture in Alola, there is a tradition that we have known as the Island Challenge. During the Island challenge, trainers will travel over each of the four main islands, taking on Trials and Grand Trials along the way to–"

"Trials and Grand Trials?"

"Yes! S-Sorry…"

"It's ok," Ash reassured her, smiling comfortingly.

"T-The Island Kahunas, with the blessing of the Tapu via a move called Nature's Madness, which is able to control any aspect of nature, train up what are known as Totem Pokémon. These Totem Pokémon are twice or three times the size of normal Pokémon, and the aim of each Trial is to clear the challenges and find and defeat the Totem Pokémon. Throughout the years, the Kahunas have also appointed Trial Captains, people that oversee each challenge and train the Totem Pokémon on behalf of the Kahuna. Lately, however, there aren't as many Trial Captains, so the Island Challenge is more independent. But, do you see that group of people over there?" Lillie pointed to the people she had been with earlier.

"Yeah," Ash nodded, intrigued.

"The green-haired girl is Mallow, the short girl is Lana, the short boy is Sophocles, and the taller boy is Kiawe. They're, umm, my friends… They are looking to become trial captains of a few different trials, so in about a year they will be filling the missing spaces, as well as some other people around the islands. They're only in training at the moment… A-Anyway! Those are the trials, but a Grand Trial is a battle against that Island's Kahuna. When you complete a Trial or a Grand Trial, you get a Z-Crystal as a reward."

"Oh, that's one of the stones I got from Tapu Koko, right?" Ash asked.

"T-That's right. These Z-Crystals, along with a Z-Ring, allow a trainer and a Pokémon to upgrade a certain move to a more powerful move, known as a Z-Move. Actually, there is a legend in Alola that states the Z-Crystals were created by a Legendary Pokémon and the Tapu, that in the past there was a giant battle, and at the end of it, a Legendary Pokémon sacrificed itself to save Alola. From its body, crystals with the ability to store energy were uncovered, and the Tapu used their abilities together to power the crystals, creating Z-Crystals."

"A Legendary Pokémon, huh…"

"Oh, yes! I forgot about Alolan variants! Over in Alola, some Kantonian Pokémon have migrated, so they have had to change to meet the demands of the environment here. For example, Vulpix is a Fire Type in Kanto, but in Alola, it's an Ice Type! I-I find that really interesting – it's what Professor Oak is studying."

Lillie kept explaining things about Alola until she saw Ash's smile, that was a weave of being impressed and entertained, and timidly looked down, "S-Sorry…"

"No, no, it's ok, really! I was just admiring how smart you are, how much you know about all of this, and how much you seem to like talking about it. I'm always moving around, so I don't have loads of time to sit down and study things. I learn by experience, so it's kind of nice to listen for once," Ash truthfully said.

"T-Thank you! I-I never really get to talk about things much either, so it's nice to be able to as well." Lillie smiled like a picture of pure happiness. Ash could not match her at that time.

"Thanks for explaining all that, too. I feel like knowing more about Alola will help me choose what I want to do next," Ash said.

Lillie parted her lips to reply when a piercing whistle sounded in place of her voice. The sound came from a stream of red shooting into the sky. Ash and Lillie watched as the light exploded, scattering fluorescent stars of red across the beautiful darkness.

"Fireworks?!" Lillie asked, her eyes a depiction of childlike zeal.

Another followed, this one ocean blue, then a yellow one, sizzling up in a zigzag of light, like a thunderbolt. Ash lay back to watch the fireworks adorn the night, their conversation completely forgotten. There were loud, booming fireworks that exploded into spheres of colour; fast, scattering bursts; and slow, delayed ones that left him in suspense for the grand explosion, a multicoloured collage bursting in the sky.

Lillie lay beside Ash, watching them too, her long hair sprawled across the ground as if not even touching it, her eyes mesmerised by the sight as if it were her first time seeing them. Ash looked at Lillie, knowing their conversation was gone, but experiencing such a beautiful sight with a new friend was pleasing.

_A new friend, huh__…_ Ash wondered. If that was true, he would not allow what happened last time to recur. He had to protect the friends he had left with everything he had, everything he was. That was his new promise to himself.

The pair watched the fireworks shoot and explode until the festival's end, settled into a friendly silence talking would only ruin. After the fireworks stopped, Ash escorted Lillie to Kukui and left for the Poké-Center. Reserving room ninety-nine, he changed into his sleeping vest and shorts and crashed almost instantly, after a short conversation with Pikachu, who slept at the bottom of his mattress.

* * *

Under the beauty of the stars, the Alolan airport doors slid open to a trio of tropically clad characters: a blue-haired man in a palm tree t-shirt, a purple-haired woman in a purple cropped top, and a Kantonian Meowth with shades slashed across his large eyes. They looked like models strutting out onto a catwalk until they stepped from the doorway and stumbled onto the ground in a dishevelled heap, groaning.

"Jet lag…" James muttered, pressing a palm pressed against his head.

When they recovered from their momentary vertigo, they hatched a plan to find a Poké-Center to sleep in for the night. It did not take them long to find it amongst the scarce city, and they stepped inside to talk with Nurse Joy.

Being able to step through the door undetected, not ostracized from the place for the reputation they had reaped, was a welcomed experience to James. It seemed they were unknown out in Alola. More pleasing, in fact, was Nurse Joy's kindness towards them rather than being shot disparaging stares even when their Pokémon were injured. They secured a room without any hassle and locked the door to room one hundred behind them.

"Phew, thank Arceus that went off without a problem! Looks like we're really on our own out here!" Jessie said, flopping onto the bed nearest the window that James wanted.

"Yeah, well, I can't be happy about it knowing Ash is gone," he replied, sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning against the wall.

"Can you believe how obsessed we've been?" James put his head in his hands. When he received no reply, he looked towards Jessie. She was asleep, Meowth too. James sighed again. He drew across the curtains and went to sleep himself, hoping he would feel better in the morning.


	8. Chapter 7: Start of Another Adventure

Chapter 7:

The Start of Another Adventure

_He was back in that night. _

_Everything was black, lustreless. The Hyper Beams cutting the sky had frozen as if stopped in time. One beam, fluctuating between black and an evil-purple, loomed perilously over his head, chocking him with anticipatory dread. The world was paralysed, and he was too, a consciousness trapped within the shell of his immobilised body. _

_They were there again, scrutinising him in the void world. Misty hovered a step to his right, leering. May and Drew were sprawled over one another, entangled, desperately clawing for closeness, grinning. Oak loomed larger than normal, like a monster, shadowing Ash__'__s already black world through the denseness of his authority. Clemont and Bonnie were walking away but not moving, their recurrent steps an incessant replay of their betrayal. Ash relived his torment. _

_Sparing Ash from experiencing absolute purgatory, though, was an angelic, cylindrical tunnel of pure-white light, like a halo, that descended around Serena__'__s body, shielding her from the all-encompassing darkness. But he knew the light was a façade._

_Defying the wishes of his head and heart that ordered him to leave, Ash walked towards Serena automatically. He begged himself not to, his knowing heart crying instead of his eyes that were forced open, eyes that should have been crying. Why couldn't he control himself? He didn't want to go to her __–__ he knew what was going to happen __–__ but he couldn't stop himself. _

_His right hand tenderly stroked her cheek when he stopped, their lips a breath__'__s centimetre apart, his other hand resting on her waist. The twinkle in her eyes seeped into him, liquidising his heart. He knew it wasn't real. He knew it, so why couldn't he stop?_

"_I love you, Serena,__"__ Ash__'__s voice innocently said, but he had not said it. It echoed around him as if a second, invisible, omnipresent version of himself spoke rather than his omniscient self, trapped to conform to the mechanical movements of whatever controlled his body. _

No! Not again! _Ash thought, trying to prevent listening to the response he already knew. He couldn't shield his ears with his hands __–__ they were trapped to his sides. He couldn't walk away __–__ his feet were affixed to the spot. He had to listen even if his eardrums burst._

"_I love Calem,__"__ Serena said insouciantly, running from under the halo__'__s protection to grab Calem__'__s arm and walk away, leaving Ash to drop onto his knees and cry once again. He knew what she was going to say, yet the malicious statement remained shattering, possibly even worse than the first time. Then the others spoke, and whatever torturous entity that controlled him released their invasion, allowing Ash to throw his head back and scream._

Ash's awoke puddled in sweat, his sheets pasted against his skin by sticky heat and the slippery, frigid glaze of his sweat. For a few seconds, his body remained motionless instead of the whiplash he had expected, and Ash was struck with fear. His heart was a Horn Drill against his chest.

When his movement returned shortly, he catapulted forwards, fighting out from the trapping, claustrophobic submersion of the sheets. Throwing the sheets and his legs over the bedside, Ash jumped to his feet, that were shaky, and paced. Only after his heart had slowed and his breath returned did he collect himself and realise what he just saw was a nightmare, that his body not moving must have been some form of sleep paralysis.

"Damn it!" Ash breathed through clenched teeth and a tightened jaw, slamming his fist against the wall in an uncharacteristic outburst of frustration. He was annoyed he couldn't forget.

"Oi! Keep it down, twerp! Some of us are _trying _to sleep!"

Ash didn't reply to the familiar term. He looked out the window as he thought and saw the rain had come at night, a rapid vortex of water piddling the windows. There was an odd beauty to the rain that helped to settle him. He dropped his head back and wiped both hands on either side of his face. They slipped down his drenched skin, so he slapped them dry against his shorts. Ash looked across at Pikachu's undisturbed smile and wondered how he had stayed asleep despite his brawl with the blankets. Though, he was glad Pikachu had stayed asleep. That meant he was peaceful.

Everything seemed so repetitive now. He would think about the events, become depressed, then need to forget somehow. How could he get himself active enough to convince his mind to forget that harrowing dream?

Struck with a sudden epiphany, Ash picked up Infernape's Pokéball and exited the room, gently closing the door behind him. He descended the Poké-Center's steps and left through the back door that opened out onto a battlefield. A lantern's lucent glow illuminated the should-be darkness, allowing Ash to see past the weak artificial white light from inside.

Stepping onto the battlefield, which was luckily sheltered, listening to the pleasing rain patter against the cover, Ash let Infernape out and requested one thing: "Infernape, can you help me train for a little while?"

Infernape agreed immediately, his chimp's grin as wide as the time he had masterfully defeated Paul's Electivire. It looked to Ash that he was glad his skills were respected enough to be used to train off of.

So far, Ash had trained by battling with his Pokémon. While it was awesome, it did not get Ash working as he wanted to be. If he could get some exercise in too, maybe he could feel better. It was like the time he swung through the trees with Greninja, training alongside him. But this time, he was not aiming to be active because of the excitement for training that had been attached to him like a Liepard's coat. He just wanted to focus his attention to anything that was not his dream.

Ash started by giving Infernape instructions, moves to use, the common basics, then he got involved, fighting Infernape hand-to-hand, who taught him small, simple moves. Bouncing on his feet, blocking and exchanging punches in the shoes of his Pokémon felt exhilarating. He found himself wanting to learn more and more from Infernape, more than he had anticipated. It became more than a distraction.

By the time midnight arrived, the puppy Pokémon Ash had seen Pikachu with at the festival crept out from the bushes, yelping relentlessly at them. Ash wondered if it had followed them. Surprisingly, Ash suddenly realised after flawlessly understanding Infernape for an hour, he could not understand the Pokémon's cries. He wondered if there was more to his ability than he had originally thought.

Before he could say a word, the small Pokémon unleashed a Tackle at Infernape, who raised a large palm and simply blocked the hit. The dog bounced back and charged again. It kept on attacking, and soon Infernape engaged in a spar with it. Ash smiled and joined in too. The small puppy was an interesting Pokémon.

Their tutoring spar continued early into the morning. Afterwards, before Ash retired at about two o'clock, certain he would sleep unhindered until after dawn, Ash gave the grey-furred dog some berries to heal up, and it affectionately rubbed its collar of rocks against Ash's leg. Ash climbed the stairs back to his room, but the wild Pokémon didn't leave, so he allowed it into his room for the night.

* * *

Far away from Alola's heat and comfort, Dawn sat in her girly-blue bedroom in Sinnoh's chillier climate, her scarf wrapped around her neck for comfort despite being indoors. It was only just morning, about nine o'clock, just after the news, and Dawn felt a blend of shock and sorrow.

After waking up at sunrise to some Starly tweeting outside her window, she had skipped downstairs in her Glameow slippers and routinely prepared some breakfast. She had walked into the living room, greeted her mother, and turned to the TV. The bowl in her hands brimmed with Shell'o's cereals and milk slipped and shattered onto the kitchen floor when she read the headline that emboldened the TV's blaring red banner.

"Previous Sinnoh League competitor, Ash Ketchum, found dead after Pallet Town catastrophe…" she had read aloud with a quavering voice, the tremor of her lips vibrating down to her knees and legs, and she staggered at her mother's side. Glancing up to her mum's sympathetic, shocked eyes, Dawn could not hold back. She had run upstairs, collapsed on her bed, and sobbed.

That was an hour ago – or was it two? Her teary reverie had alienated time to her. However long it had been, she hadn't stopped crying. How could she? Ash was her best friend and the person that had changed her life in heroic ways, that had aided her in becoming a more accomplished trainer and coordinator, and a nicer person. They called each other once or twice a month late in the night when Ash was at a Poké-Center. When he told her that he was coming home in their latest chat, she had immediately packed a bag to go and visit him. The bag was still in the corner of her room, overflowed with tops and skirts and shoes, and ribbons she recently acquired and yearned to pridefully present to Ash after congratulating him on the Kalos League.

But now she couldn't present them to him. Ash was gone.

What made it even worse was that a few days after she had established her idea, Professor Oak had called her, countering her friendly plan with a villainous scheme, pitched like a scripted marketer whose mystifying, mysterious campaign aimed to ruin Ash's life. She had promptly hung up before he attempted persuasion or coercion and called Brock, who was just as angry and heartbroken having received a similar call. Gary had called her later that night, furious over his grandfather's idea. He had vented for nearly an hour.

Her plans changed then. Alongside Brock and Gary – the latter originally wanted to go home because of his father's return but later because of Ash too – she planned to intercept Ash at the airport. After all, pinpointing a time he would be at a Poke-Center in Kalos to call him would be impossible, and they had already spoken that month. Brock was to lie in wait in Viridian because his job was stationed there, and the night before they would all fly over to greet him the next day. But it appeared he had come home early without telling anybody. And now, he was gone.

Dawn didn't hear the door to her room rustle open, nor her mother's slippered feet scraping the carpet. The bed tilted as Johanna sat down. She tapped Dawn's shoulders, and Dawn slowly rolled over from her face-down position on her bed, her head snuggled between her pillows, to face her mother. Her expression was grave and blemished with smudged tears. Johanna hugged Dawn tightly.

"Sweetie, there are some people at the door for you," Johanna softly said.

Dawn didn't reply for a moment. When she did, her voice was meeker than a Joltik's cry. "Ash is gone, mum…"

"I know, I know," Johanna rubbed Dawn's upper back, just behind her bed-head blue tresses. "It's going to be hard, especially for Delia. We should call her to see how she is. But before that, you should go and see whoever is there. I saw one of them. He's a very handsome boy."

Dawn refused. She didn't want to see anybody, not in that state.

"Please, Dawn? I'm sure you will feel a bit better."

Dawn refused a few more times, then she sighed. There was no winning against her mother when she was determined. "Ok… I just need to clean up."

"That's my girl." Johanna rubbed her daughter's arms affectionately. "It'll all be ok."

Quickly washing her face to clean away the tear streaks and morning fatigue, brushing her hair, and changing into a more appropriate outfit, Dawn limply descended the stairs and opened the door half-heartedly. Gary, Barry, and Paul stood on the other side of the wooden threshold, almost skittishly jumping as Dawn popped into view.

"Barry? Paul? Gary? What're you doing here?" Dawn asked, shocked, scanning them with her eyes. They all looked melancholic and sympathetic. They knew.

"We saw the news. I bought four tickets for a few days' time – couldn't get 'em any earlier. We're going to Kanto if you want to come," Gary said, and immediately, Dawn agreed.

* * *

"They want to meet me at Kukui's Lab? How come?" Ash asked as he zipped up his bag having stashed his Pokémon inside. He stood from his crouch, stretched his arms, and slipped the bag onto his back. Pikachu jumped onto his right shoulder and, mimicking him, the small dog jumped onto his left.

Lillie swished her hat from the Poké-Center's seats and adjusted it onto her head, "I'm, umm, not sure. Umm… Professor Kukui said 'Hey there, Lillie! Bring me that great new trainer. Woo!'. I think they want to talk to you about the Island Challenge. I would have been here earlier, but I got lost on the way over…"

"It's alright," Ash said, struggling to suppress a laugh at Lillie's imitation of Kukui.

"If you don't mind me asking, when did you get a Rockruff?" Lillie asked, eyeing the small dog, taking a step or two away from Ash's side. "That one looks familiar."

Ash shrugged. "I haven't, really. I think it followed us home from the festival last night and it stayed over."

"I see…" Lillie said. "Uh, come on, then. I'll lead you there if you'll follow me."

Ash walked beside Lillie into the vacant street. Just as the doors smoothly slid to a close and they turned to the marketplace, Ash spotted a Meowth slouching down the stairs with a male and female trainer tiredly flanking it on either side. He sighed.

_Why do I wish that was Team Rocket? _Ash wondered. For the first time in ever, Ash suddenly wished the rag-tag villains would emerge from the seas or forests of Alola, just to imbue his new life with some normalcy. He found it hard to admit, but he missed them. But, how could they be the same group? How could they find him so far out in the world, especially given the haste he had escaped Kanto with, and the fact they were still in Kalos, from what he knew?

"It's umm… it's this way," Lillie said, leading him back towards Iki Town but turning the opposite way, down onto a small bay in front of a charming for-sale lodge.

"If you don't mind me asking, this time," Ash said as they rustled through some long grass, "how did you become Professor Kukui's assistant, Lillie?"

"O-Oh… I've been – imposing on the Professor for a little while now, and to pay him back for his kindness, I offered to become his assistant. It's the least I could do…" Lillie nervously answered, stopping in front of a large wooden shack with a messily patched up roof and a small decking in front of the door. A steel tank on the back of the wall poked up as a sort of chimney, and a crooked sign attached to the front of the roof read 'Kukui's Lab'.

Ash was surprised; it looked meshed together randomly, a lot more shambolic than the professional dwellings the other Professors Ash had met owned – Oak's now rested in a heap of ruins, which Ash felt was a small victory – but Ash preferred the messy appearance. There was something honest about it.

Lillie entered the house first, and then Ash. Kukui greeted them at the door.

"Hey, Ash, Lillie! Oh, and you've got Rockruff with ya, nice one! I wondered where he'd got to. And, hey, it seems to have taken a liking to ya!" Kukui said and coaxed them all inside and to the settees. Rockruff bounded to the corner to curl up and rest.

Opposed to the patchwork exterior, the inside was nicer even than Oak's lab had been. The small living room and the kitchen were that of a normal house, but a small tank housing an aquarium of water Pokémon stood down the hall, opposite two other rooms, and a ladder into a loft was set up just at the back of the living room. Stairs led into the basement, which glowed with white light only countless computer screens could emit. That was probably where Kukui did his work.

"Is Rockruff yours, Professor?" Ash asked, dropping his bag and hat by the door.

"Nah, it's wild. I found it in the forest one day, injured. Brought it back, healed it up, now it comes back every time it gets hurt or wants food, the cheeky guy!"

"Good morning, Ash!" Hala intervened, offering him a snack from the settees. Ash politely declined, adjusting himself into his seat beside Lillie, who allowed Nebby out to mingle with some other Pokémon frolicking in the corner. Ash did not recognise any of the species, again. "First things first, I want to give the stones back to you from yesterday. After the festival, I spent the evening carving out the large stone, and I was correct. It seems Tapu-Koko has presented you with a Z-Ring."

Hala handed Ash the stone, which remained intact, yet it had been modified. The jagged stone that had covered sections of the engravings had been chiselled away, leaving the Z complete and the hole in its centre clear, and a wristband had been attached underneath, as black as the stone itself. Ash slipped it onto his right wrist. He flexed and twisted his wrist, feeling happy with it: it fit perfectly. Hala then gave him the other stone.

"Here is your Z-Crystal back."

"Thank you. Is this the device you told me about last night, Lillie? The Z-Ring?" Ash asked, still inspecting it.

"Yes, that's right!" Lillie answered.

"To use a Z-Move, yeah, you need to first fit the stone into the engraving on the ring," Kukui instructed. Ash looked down at the ring, then slotted in the Z-Crystal. "From there, to use a Z-Move, you've gotta have a deep bond with your Pokémon, and you've gotta do a dance and strike a pose to generate energy!" Kukui added, grinning.

"Do a dance and strike a pose?"

"Yep!"

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Ash muttered, imagining something like a hula dance given the tropical settings.

"You'll get used to it, don't worry Ash! Hoho!" Hala said, chuckling. Taking that as an inference Hala performed those dances to pull of Z-Moves, Ash's mind automatically pictured Hala hula dancing, and Ash almost begged Pikachu to shock him with his most powerful Thunderbolt for it. That was _not _a fun thought.

"So, uh, we've gotta have a close bond?"

"Correct, cousin! It's Alola's speciality, y'know!"

"I see…" Ash said.

"While owning a Z-Crystal is incredible having not started the Island Challenge," Hala interjected, "we are not here to talk about that. Actually, Ash, we want to talk to you about the Island Challenge itself."

Ash dropped his adorned arm to his side to politely focus on Hala instead of his fascinating acquisition. "Sure! What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Frankly, we want to urge you to take part in the Island Challenge," Hala said, his voice firm and unyielding. "After watching you battle against my grandson, I knew you had to take part in the challenge. You battled expertly. I can see real talent in you, Ash. And Tapu Koko seems to see it too. It was curious about you, took an interest in a trainer, something it hasn't done in, oh, sixteen or seventeen years? That, in itself, is a reason I believe you should embark on the Island Challenge. If I had to state another, I'd say just the curiosity of an old man, hoho!"

"You think so?" Ash asked. Having learned more about Alola, the Island Challenge sounded exciting, but Ash doubted whether he could muster the energy to take it as seriously as his previous adventures from his crestfallen heart. He did not want to disappoint anyone's expectations.

"Sure do! It's an awesome journey, one both Hala and I completed in the past. Not only is it different from the Gym Challenges, yeah, but it tests your abilities as a trainer in more ways than one. You gotta battle, overcome unique challenges, and most importantly, make decisions for yourself. With Gym Challenges, you have one goal to reach, but with the Island Challenge, you can get whatever you want out of it! It's a journey every trainer should go on here in Alola, even if ya are only visiting," Kukui explained, lounging back into the soft settee.

"It's that impressive…" Ash distantly muttered.

"Nearly every child to take part has said it has been an amazing experience for them. So much so, that there are countless trainers every day wanting to take part. As a matter of fact, just this morning we handed out the Litten and Popplio Hau didn't choose to two twins, a boy and a girl, both eleven years old, eager to start the challenge," Hala continued.

Finally, Ash was convinced. After everything that had been said, he couldn't think of a reason to decline. Actually, it could only be beneficial to him, immerse him back into familiarity and an environment to get stronger. That's something he had promised himself to do. "Ok, I'll give it a go," Ash said.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried its agreement, clearly eager to adventure once again.

"Aww yeah, cousin! That's awesome news!" Kukui shouted, stepping across the room to slap Ash's shoulder. "All we need to do now is get a starter Pokémon from Alola for ya and present you with an Alolan Pokédex and an Island Challenge Amulet to signify you're taking part! Though, the starter may be an issue since we just gave away our last two…"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about a starter. I mean, Pikachu's my partner," Ash said.

Nodding in satisfaction, Hala gave Ash an amulet, a small yellow keyring attached to a brown loop of fabric with a few coloured beads attached to it. Meanwhile, Kukui disappeared downstairs.

"This is the symbol of an Island Challenge participant. Have it on you at all times and you may reap some rewards. You never know, people think highly of the challengers." Ash thanked Hala and fastened it to his bag.

Kukui returned to the living room with a Pokéball and a Pokédex. He handed Ash the red, oddly shaped dex.

"This, Ash, is the latest style, brand-new, fresh-off-the-shelves Pokédex, one of few! It's what is known as a Rotom-dex!"

"A Rotom-dex?" Ash asked, looking at the dex then turning to Kukui. It _did _look somewhat like a Rotom. Kukui smirked and opened the Pokéball. A Rotom popped out, zipping about immediately like electricity through a wire.

"You see, there has been a new development lately, yeah, by Aether Paradise," Ash suddenly saw Lillie fumbling with her dress, "that is power-efficient and all-natural, in an effort to save Pokémon habitats. So, instead of machinery or electricity, they've given Rotom a new purpose, and made a dex they can fit into! When in the dex, they record and download all the data for everything, and are your new best-travelling buddy! Pretty great, right?!" Kukui explained.

"Umm, as you might know, Rotom's body is made up of electricity, so that gives it the ability to take up residence in different machines. Because of this, and their mischievous nature, Rotom can be troublemakers. This is another reason that giving them this job is such a good idea," Lillie shyly input.

Ash recalled that one incident in the Sinnoh region and cringed. He, Dawn, and Brock had had one bizarre day at the Old Chateau.

"It's a new way for people and Pokémon to communicate, woo!"

Ash didn't think it wise to admit his new-found ability there and then. He was probably the only person who could communicate that way.

Kukui held up the Pokédex, and Rotom dived right in and it came to life, exploding with a brilliant blue-ish glow. The Pokédex dashed into the air in front of Ash's face, two electrical eyes blinking and the once static metal arms waving up and down.

"Hello-zzt! I'm your new Rotom-dex, Ash! I'll record and tell you about any and all Pokémon you come across in the Alola region-zzt! Nice to meet you!"

Somewhat baffled he was talking to a Pokédex, Ash responded awkwardly, "Nice to meet you too, Rotom. I'm glad for your help!"

"There you have it, Ash," Hala announced, "even without a starter, your Island Challenge has officially begun!"

Ash looked at his Rotom-dex, then at Pikachu – Rockruff looked at him in the background – and smiled. That was the start of another adventure.


	9. Chapter 8: Normality

Chapter 8:

Normality

"Infernape, Flare Blitz!"

"Nape!" Infernape's body ignited in a flaming, sizzling blue inferno and he pushed off, rocketing towards Staraptor; little flames spitted from his fire, charring spots on the dusty battlefield.

"Aerial Ace to dodge!" Staraptor crouched then swiftly glided away from the blue blaze. The tips of his grey feathers briefly caught fire but were quickly extinguished to a warm tingle during his speedy dodge; the Predator Pokémon didn't even feel it.

The battlers stopped, facing one another, jockeying around in a tight circle, scanning for even the slightest tap of a toe. Seeing them so close, Ash knew what he had to do. Infernape had learned the move only a day before, and he could not wait to let them spar with it. "Now, both use Close Combat!"

At the sidelines of the drawn-out battlefield, Rockruff carefully watched the battle. Its blue orbs were diamonds of amazed reverence.

Infernape's fists glowed a fierce red while Staraptor's talons shone white, and they quickly thrust punches and kicks back and forth, each talon and fist equalling one another, ricocheting in recoil, then thrusting back into the fray. Each rapid punch or kick sparked almost like metal grinding metal as they clashed.

Infernape was nimbler, in mind and body. Stamping his large feet firmly onto the ground, driving his hands so fast they blurred, Staraptor was forced to use his wings as shields. Staraptor batted the fists away as best he could, but against Infernape's specialty, he was disadvantaged. Infernape's speed reached Mach and the large bird couldn't combat.

But he didn't concede. Staraptor leaned to the right, coaxing Infernape's assault to change course, then he quickly curved left, making Infernape punch the nothing that remained in his dust. Finally seeing an opening, he tapped his talons down and sprung into the air. Staraptor gyrated, kicked the back of Infernape's head with as much force as he could. Infernape, knocked off balance, jumped away, separating himself from Staraptor. They both turned to face each other again, poised for the next command.

"Woah! Nice feint, Staraptor! Almost like the actual move!" Ash called, cupping his mouth like a megaphone. Staraptor chirped back powerfully, his gaze unwavering. "Alright, let's call it a night! Well done, everyone!" Ash announced, and the two Pokémon dropped their competitive stares. They shouted respectfully across the battlefield and retreated to the side where they welcomed drinks and snacks Nurse Joy had graciously provided.

Basking in the deliciousness of the food that his exhaustion enhanced, Ash delivered a short analysis of their session to his team before heading to his room. Ash found that talking over their sessions afterwards had become significantly easier now he could understand them properly. Talking to them was no longer like talking to a person fluent only in Unown script. He was no longer interpreting; he was talking to them as normal friends. It made him feel significantly closer to them. Rockruff, however, he couldn't decipher. He had no idea why.

For a few days following the official inauguration of his Island Challenge, Ash rode the Rhyhorn last. While the rookies to Pokémon training – Hau, the twins Hala mentioned – studied the basics at the local Pokémon school and shared their essential first days of bonding with their starters, Ash decided to familiarise himself with Melemele's city. Lillie, Hau, Kukui, and Hala acted as his tour guides for the three days, showing him where everything was and how to get around, for which Ash was very appreciative. Now, Ash wanted to storm the forests and routes, to get back to adventuring. To his changeable normality.

Amidst his calm mapping of the city, Ash learned more about those escorting him as they vaguely detailed themselves in silence-filling chatter. Lillie told him she was staying in Kukui's attic-room for reasons still undisclosed, Hau announced how his biggest goal was to defeat his grandfather in an all-out battle, and Kukui explained his research topic as a professor was Pokémon Moves and Z-Moves.

Hala, on the other hand, was more questioning of Ash himself. He was especially curious about his journey so far. Ash explained as much as he felt he could in simplistic terms, focusing on his travels, vaguely saying he challenged Gyms and Leagues, rather than the unordinary, extraordinary events that always seemed to transpire around him. Ash never knew how to talk about them with people that hadn't been there. It was odd: he thought they wouldn't believe him, that they might not understand. Nonetheless, to Hala, it was as if needing to know everything about Ash was a necessity.

Naturally, sight-seeing and gossiping wasn't all Ash accomplished that week. He trained during the nights with all his Pokémon, accompanied relentlessly by the energetic, apprenticing Rockruff. He had originally questioned why Rockruff was following him, but now it didn't matter so much. Catching Rockruff wandered in his bubble of thoughts recently.

Resulting from his guides' efforts the past few days, Ash was finally feeling somewhat content again. His training sessions reclaimed their dynamic and enthusiastic nature, and he enjoyed conversing and sometimes joking with Hau and Lillie. The lingering, painful shadow of the events earlier in the week did not fade from his heart, but it was now like a patch of shade rather than a pitch-black room, only a corner of darkness under an endless, radiant light filling him. The elation he had re-acquired was Ash's light. Annoyingly, he still had nightmares, near-perfect replicas of the first he felt just as annoyed about, but they were infrequent and tolerable.

Just before Ash drifted to sleep, he heard the floorboards creak and the hinges of the door squeak as it slid open, the click of it closing again seconds after. Every day so far, he heard somebody leave around the same time. Ash wanted to know who it was, but the fact that they were sneaking around meant it was a secret endeavour. It was definitely not Pikachu, though. He was too far immersed in his sleep to get up and leave. Ash was glad he was. Pikachu was one of his top priorities.

* * *

On Saturday morning at dawn while waiting for Lillie, Ash was tousling his messy hair which dropped handsomely across his face as he watched the large TV in the Poké-Center document a failed break-in attempt last night.

According to the report, a group known as Team Skull attempted to infiltrate Hau'oli's shopping arcade. They nearly escaped with some jewellery. They were stopped just in time but not apprehended.

Apparently, as explained via a quote from the lead policeman, the Alolan Police department was unable to apprehend the suspects due to being understaffed. He claimed that several officers quit under the pretence that nothing police worthy ever occurred on Alola's shores. While that attitude wasn't good, Ash imagined it wasn't wrong either. It seemed the region forever rested in an idyll state.

Lillie arrived a few minutes later with her too-formal greeting Ash lightly teased, which she seemed to enjoy given the noticeable flush on her fair cheeks when she smiled, shyly diverting her gaze. Grabbing his bag, they head out of the door just as his room-neighbours clambered down the stairs – he had still yet to see their faces.

Ash and Lillie had planned the previous evening to have breakfast with her friends from the festival, the to-be trial captains, to introduce Ash to more people and maybe gain some insight into the challenge. Meeting new people was a big part of his journeys, so Ash contentedly agreed. He thought it would be nice to have some more acquaintances, maybe friends. If the latter was to happen, Ash knew he would have to ensure events were not repeated.

Lillie stopped outside an establishment branded as 'Melemele's Malasadas' advertising an imposing head-shot of a Slurpuff grinning enticingly on a sign. It was a busy shop for so early in the morning: customers lined outside the door. No other area of Hau'oli city was quite as packed, except the café he previously visited at the end of the street.

They entered the shop and headed towards an, in Ash's opinion, overcrowded booth whence he and Lillie joined. Everybody introduced themselves genially, and Kiawe immediately turned emotionally passionate over Ash's battle with Hau, claiming what an amazing battle it was and the raw skill he witnessed. Ash swore he saw tears cornering his eyes as he ranted with some sort of brotherly pride Ash could compare to Brock. Ash was exultant to receive the praise; he could not deny the gratification the compliments gave him. It was nice to hear after being degraded so heavily.

Mallow explained next how she made all the food for the festival by hand, asking what he thought of it, of which he praised. The table soon became one friendly chat where everyone chipped in. Lana was quiet, though she did make a funny joke about catching Kyogre that left everybody but him reeling in their own child-like ignorance. Ash didn't mention he actually had met Kyogre, more than once. How could he? It was just as hard to do as mentioning his adventures to Hala. He didn't want to live in incognito, but he worried about their reactions. He didn't know why.

Hau dashed in after a while, his Rowlet hovering by his shoulder, shouting about the Malasadas, and ran out without noticing them.

_Yep._ Ash simply thought. Hau was exactly like he had been on his first adventure.

Nothing at all seemed amiss with the group's attitude, and Ash was warmed to feel so easily welcomed. Somehow, that deep, comforting warmth felt foreign to him now. Absently twisting his Z-Ring, Ash remembered it, the sensation of the Z-Crystal pleasantly warming his palm as he held it. Somehow, the Z-Crystal's physical warmth matched the current emotion in his chest identically, as if the essence of his own emotions was shared with the stone, embedded into it. It was indescribable, almost a physical manifestation of euphoria. It sounded so bizarre, childish even.

_Is that what Kukui meant when he said we need a close bond to pull off a Z-Move?_ Ash wondered, thinking back to him saying bonds were Alola's speciality. _Is this what it feels like? Is that the warmth of a bond?_

"So, Ash, you've begun the Island Challenge?" Kiawe asked, and Ash nodded, returning from his reverie to put down the remaining half of his delicious delicacy. "Is there anything you'd like to know about it? See, I've done it too."

"Oh, really? Did you complete it?" Ash asked.

"I did! It was tough, but I finally got there!"

"And we've never heard the end of it!" Mallow said, causing a round of laughs.

"Anyway, is there anything you'd like to know?" Kiawe asked, ignoring Mallow's jest.

Ash thought for a moment. He heard everything expertly from Lillie, so there wasn't a lot to know. "I guess… What do Z-Moves feel like? And… I'm from Kanto, which is famous for its gyms, so is it anything different to Gym Challenges?"

"Good questions! Firstly, as weird as it sounds, Z-Moves are like a surge of determination you share with your Pokémon, something that overtakes both of you, allowing you to perform something spectacular. And let me tell you, Z-Moves are _very _spectacular! Burning like the mountain of Akala, Inferno Overdrive is my favourite!"

"Oh, yeah, Ash, Kiawe is in love with a volcano," Lana deadpanned, causing Ash to laugh again along with the rest of the table. Kiawe complained, berating Lana for misinterpreting things.

"Anyway," Kiawe resumed, "that's just for me. Other people have said they feel differently, such as Professor Kukui saying it's a feeling of closeness he had with his Pokémon when they use them. Z-Moves are reliant on the Pokémon's bond with the trainer, so it can feel different to everyone."

"Uh-huh… So, just as an example, if the trainer and their partner Pokémon were to both feel, say, selfish, they could still pull off a Z-Move?" Ash asked.

"I assume they could," Kiawe said, thinking a little bit afterwards.

"I-I've read somewhere that they would be able to, yes," Lillie added. "They could pull off the move because that is the basis of their relationship and bond, the thing that makes them very close to one another. Bonds between humans can be all different things – loving, spiteful – and the same can be said with people and Pokémon. Therefore, you don't have to be the happiest and most excitable of friends to pull the moves off. T-That's what I read, anyway. You are just required to be very close with your Pokémon and they with you…"

Kiawe clicked his fingers. "That's right! Thanks, Lillie! Now, along with the normal Z-Moves, there are Z-Moves that are unique to specific species of Pokémon. As an example, it's rumoured that the Mythical Pokémon Mew has its own Z-Move. But, of course, nobody has ever seen Mew. It is only known of in mythology: only people who lived years ago have seen it."

Ash sat there awkwardly, flicking his eyes to his food. After all, he had seen Mew.

"The more common ones are the Alolan starter Pokémon's final evolutions. But, for every Z-Move, you must perform a couple of actions, like a dance. To me, they're quite… empowering," Kiawe resumed. The mention of the actions got Ash thinking to the day before and of Hala hula dancing.

"Ahh, that's in my mind now…" Ash muttered, clenching his eyes, sighing. Pikachu's ears flopped over his eyes and he held them there as if he shared Ash's thoughts.

"What is?" Sophocles innocently asked.

"Ah, nothing! That honestly sounds awesome!" It sounded similar to Mega-Evolution in the bond viewpoint, but it was obtainable for any Pokémon. Ash couldn't wait to get started and figure out Z-Moves.

"As for your other question, I don't know a lot about Gym Challenges, but something I do know is that the Island Challenge is a lot more relaxed on the moves you can use. From what I know, it's customary in Gym Challenges to only have your Pokémon recall four specific moves throughout unless they learn new ones to override it. Here in Alola, you can chop and change your movesets between battles to come up with different strategies at different times. That's the freeing aspect of it I really liked. You're limited to four moves per battle as always but between them, you could change all your moves if you wanted. You can probably do that with Gym Challenges, but it's more lenient out here," Kiawe concluded.

"Wow, so you could be going up against a completely different Pokémon if you battle somebody twice on different days," Ash said, pondering just how much that would influence his journey. With Pikachu, he could implement Volt Tackle during his more serious battles but then return to Quick Attack for less-serious ones. That certainly did sound freeing.

However, Ash frowned. "There's an issue with that, isn't there? If somebody was to change their moveset immediately and give their Pokémon new moves all of a sudden, they would be at a disadvantage. I mean, a Pokémon's moves become stronger and better with training. If at the last minute, you changed, they wouldn't be as good at using those moves. You'd have to swap between moves the Pokémon already knows to exploit it."

"Exactly!" Kiawe said, jumping up. "That's an impressive pick-up so quickly! That's the kind of way professional Trainers out here in Alola use it."

"I see, so it gives you freedom but you've gotta be careful with it… I like it! Thanks for letting me know, Kiawe! I'm honestly looking forward to this so much now!"

"Pikachu!" And Pikachu was too.

* * *

"See ya later!" Ash called to Lillie and Mallow, the last two to leave him at the threshold to the route a few hours later; Ash had enjoyed their breakfast so much it had become mid-day as quick as one blink.

"Bye!" Mallow called back, skipping along the road with Lillie, who waved. The pair were heading to the café Mallow worked at – he found out it was her family's earlier. Lillie had kindly offered to taste some of Mallow's new dishes and her excitement was evident.

Finally on his own, with Pikachu and Rockruff perched on either shoulder, Ash ran out onto the route and began what he did every year: exploring.

It turned out that a day spent back in his life of adventuring was something he desperately needed. Walking along the nature paths between the groves of green, encountering wild Pokémon on his every side, battling trainers every-so-often who provided him with some much-needed money as he trounced them one after the other; it made him feel like himself again, even if it would only last a few hours.

Amongst the wild, Ash discovered Alola's local bird Pokémon, Pikipek, a small Bug Type called Grubbin – he checked them with Rotom – and several Caterpie and Metapod. Rockruff had a blast fighting all of them while Pikachu watched from the sidelines, unchallenged at their low levels. At about mid-day, Ash found a Growlithe stealthily circling a pile of berries, specifically two large blue ones that seemed much too large to be berries.

The route desired to be followed trailed along a dusty path up and around the large mountain centring Melemele like the curve of a boomerang, but Ash was never one for sticking to what was suggested forever. He followed the trail up beyond a house he heard yelling from within and a small farm of berries – possibly oran and sitrus from what he peeked – checked out the small bay beside a motel but got restless of conforming to the path. When he saw a group of people clustered around and chatting by a Poké-Center lodge up the trail, he wandered off the dusty track.

He found a stray trainer deep in the uncharted forest late into the afternoon, after hours gained clambering through the vines and bushes, acquiring countless berries, battling the wild Pokémon he gave oran berries to after their battles.

The boy had a black Ratatta. Ash was immediately intrigued by Ratatta's Alolan variant, as Lillie had called it. It was interesting to see the differences by comparing them with Rotom's dex. This Ratatta was a Dark-Type, something which Ash found incredible. It was as if he was in a different world.

Dishearteningly, the trainer battle ended too quickly, as they all did. Consecutive hits with his Tackle-Sand Attack combo and the boy's black Ratatta had fainted. It appeared Melemele was not a hive for experienced trainers but those less skilled or only beginning. Ash could see himself taking on the first trial relatively quickly, even if he currently only had Pikachu with him on the Alolan team. He couldn't make his older, stronger Pokémon fight at such a low level just to preserve their opponent's pride. He didn't want Pikachu to fight below his level, either, but Pikachu was different. He was his partner.

Thinking back to his sparse team, catching Rockruff slipped into his thoughts again while he tried to tell the young boy he didn't need the reward money. The boy thanked him, Ash gave him a stack of berries, and he ran gleefully back through the woods.

Sighing, Ash brushed his arm against his forehead to wipe the sweat away. The sun had been punishing all day, so a little shade of the trees was happily welcomed.

While Rockruff played in the shade, Ash started thinking of a reason his ability to understand Pokémon wasn't working with Rockruff. Incidentally, it didn't work with any of the wild Pokémon or other trainer's Pokémon. It wasn't faulty: he understood Pikachu's every cry. There _was _something more to it, he knew it. But Brock wasn't there, and he couldn't tell a stranger about it. Hala and Kukui seemed to be good options, but Ash didn't want to tell them. Hala's continuous probing into his adventures was slightly concerning and repellent, even though he knew the man had a large heart. That much was evident. Tapu Koko's actions must have meant something significant to the old Kahuna. Besides, the ability was so bizarre, so unheard of, Ash doubted anybody had heard of it.

He decided to sleep on it. Gathering Pikachu and Rockruff, he headed back to the city.

* * *

The silver peak dividing Kanto and Johto was levelled almost flat at the apex, shimmering with a sheet of crystal snow; not a footprint nor pawprint was ruinously embedded into the white.

A timid snow-flurry with whooshing, whistling wind encircled the mountain tops generating a briskness in the air that was barely tolerable to the man in red planted at the highest cliff's edge. He peered far across the white-wonderland night with such brown eyes that, if glimpsed at an angle, could have been a hot red. He silently watched the bright dots like stars fallen to earth that were city lights, and the blurred forests and roads and seas, a blended miscellany of grey and green and blue, even beyond the snow. He brushed up his red cap that shaded his eyes to broaden his view-scope, his open short-sleeved coat flapped behind him.

Time was nothing up there. An hour could pass in a minute. He didn't know how long he had been there when his attuned ears heard the crunch of feet beyond the wind, and he peered over his shoulder to see the man who ruined everything. He even ruined the perfectly beautiful snow, his inapt pointed black shoes lifting and layering clumps atop each other, digging long holes into the crystal surface. The crunching stopped a meter to his side, and he acknowledged the snow-printed black coat pulled warm against the man and his black hat with a flick of his eyes.

The man lodged his hands into his coat pockets as he, too, watched the world breeze by.

"It's beautiful," the man quietly said after a few minutes, without faux awe, his eyes solidified forwards, his lips a myth smile.

The man in red didn't reply.

"Quite an excellent location you decided to retire to. If it were me, I'd have come here too. Out of sight, out of reach… out of life. It took me a while to find you, and this was all but an adept guess." The man in black glanced at the other's unimpressed expression. "Hmm, don't give me that look. I'm here because I have news. Hah, now your expression says: how long will this go on? Until I'm done, until it's complete, this long, convoluted story we're intertwined within…"

The man in red stared. "Yes, of course, I'll get to the point. It's the boy…" The man in red tensed, "He's _supposedly_ dead." Faster than Extreme Speed, the man in red dashed in front of his associate, kicking the snow into a frenzy. He clenched his fists tightly, physically shaking. "Anger is entirely acceptable," the news-bringer calmly said, "but no, it wasn't anybody involved. Nobody knows how. Not even I. It was on the news, confirmed by Samuel."

The man in red stepped back. The man in black readjusted his jacket and hat and turned away, beginning back down the trail, and disappeared into the blizzard with a parting word. "But if it were me, I wouldn't be so certain."

The remaining, solitary man stood for a few minutes, thinking. Then he turned, and descended the trail too, in an amble.


	10. Chapter 9: Confrontations

Chapter 9:

Confrontations

"So, what skills can you offer as new employees?" a rotund man asked from the kitchen of a vendor van detailed with a picture of a bear Pokémon and some doughnuts. His bespectacled, stern eyes scanned between a clipboard and the trio stood out on the street munching on the glazed or chocolate-coated doughnuts they had just purchased.

"Well, we've got very good persuasion skills, and we have great experience dealing with other people, which relates to the job because we would naturally have to deal with customers day-to-day. Moreover, our ability to deceive others can be very helpful in the fact that we can… present that we experienced salespeople in order to tempt the customers, to get your Bewear Bakery selling more goods than ever before!" Jessie said through her smirk, leaning forwards at an angle that ghosted around being risqué.

"I-Is that so? You deceive others?" he quizzically asked, fidgeting his paused gaze away from Jessie to his paper, quickly scraping his pen across it in what looked like distracting scribbles rather than purposeful notes.

"Ah… Correct! Ah hah, we've previously worked undercover you see, required to pretend we are who we aren't." Jessie leaned back, folding her arms as if impressed with her ruse.

"I see… And what about your previous employments made you have to go undercover?"

"I'm afraid we are contracted against detailing that."

While Jessie bargained with the employer, falsifying their applications and experiences to avoid explaining their cult-ish lives devoted to Team Rocket, James and Meowth were slouched against the red wall of the van.

James was completely perturbed at Jessie's risk of exposing their true pasts. He could not believe she was signing them all up for jobs so out of nowhere like that, even though they were borderline skint. They'd talked in their Poké-Center room about needing more money a few days prior, but James had considered the complications and had suggested taking their time to plan applications. Jessie, of course, ignored him, saw the blackboard propped out front of the van asking for employees, and signed them up.

"Well, all of your IDs seem to be in order." Apart from their names, they weren't. "I'm convinced. We need to get more doughnuts selling anyways – heck, the only ones we've sold lately were to a teenager and some of his Pokémon a few days back. If you can do that, you're all good in my book! When can you start?"

"Right now, if that's alright with you, sir," Jessie simpered, and the man nodded like a lackey.

"Of course! Please, go right ahead. I have to go and write up your forms, of course, but you can start right away," the man said, then took off in a sprint, bobbing side to side more than running. James thought he looked a little too pleased to have more employees.

Considering himself an educated man, James found the boss' easily trusting manner of organising his business quite surprising. Usually, they had to undergo the proper procedure and plan ahead of time their shifts. This man, while excitable, seemed too lax. Alola, itself, seemed too carefree, something that unnerved James slightly. It couldn't all be so tranquil.

Jessie swivelled on her tall heel. "See? Easy. Now we've got a small but steady income of money."

"It's a good start," James commented, trying to think positively against their limited knowledge of the wider world outside crime. They were indoctrinated into Team Rocket as young adults by Giovanni himself without having experienced jobs to ease them into society. James considered this their start.

"How did we get roped into selling doughnuts?" Meowth asked, pulling on an embarrassing cap of a pink and black Pokémon.

"You should be used to it by now…" James muttered, wanting to do anything else; they _were_ in paradise, after all.

* * *

"Clemont! Professor Oak wants everything to be cleaned up around this area so we can fix the lab as early as possible! He says to hurry up!" Bonnie cried from her seat on a make-shift bench of wooden scaffolding, the type of wood Timburr constantly lugged under their arms. Professor Oak had ordered such materials only a few days after the incident, taking no time to mourn or grieve like the rest of them, to rebuild his lab.

"I'm the only one doing anything!" Clemont complained, widely gesturing the terrain empty of workers and full of wandering bystanders who were chatting quietly, moving pebbles effortlessly ever-so-often to please Oak whenever he emerged from his shadowed, rubble-littered office. Clemont picked up a rock and tossed it at larger one; such a childish action was all he was allowed to do to vent. "Get Serena and Calem to help out! Heck, get _anyone _to help! They're being so useless!"

"They're too busy fussing over each other!" Bonnie laughed, jumping to her feet and falling to a proposal knee as she'd done many times to embarrass her elder brother. This time, though, much to Clemont's pleasure, she mimicked Serena and Calem, a pair Clemont couldn't convince himself to accept together. "'Oh, Serena, you're hurt, let me kiss it better.' 'Oh, Calem, you're so kind.' I should go and eavesdrop on them!" Bonnie said, giggling, then she was off, unstealthily slinking behind the broken wall of the lab. Laughter indicated her sneaking had failed, and that they weren't working.

Clemont was and had been fed-up of everybody's attitudes ever since the incident. He was annoyed and had to question their human morals because they acted relatively normal despite the added heaviness of grief, enjoying themselves as normal, some in ways one wouldn't expect after such news.

May and Drew were the perfect examples, cuddling tightly and mumbling condolences when everyone was around and attentive, a performance that wasn't reflected in a scene Clemont exited the lab to one night. Intending on getting some fresh air to calm his restlessness, Clemont stormed back inside having glimpsed the devoted pair entangled with each other around the side of a tree, grappling their arms and legs and lips, kissing messily, tugging at whatever clothing wasn't already flung to the side or dangling from their shoulders. Clemont dunked his face under the shower hose for twenty minutes afterwards to try and cleanse the sight from his eyes. A make-out session _definitely_ didn't correspond with sadness. Maybe that was their coping mechanism for grief, but Clemont was smarter than that.

He saw others too: Trip was smirking wherever he went, Bonnie, happy as ever, didn't understand the injustice, and everybody had created a black market auction for Ash's Pokémon. Trip was pleased to have received Torterra, one of the only ones to resist being given away, and Tracey had easily acquired the Tauros herd. It was sickening.

At the same time, Clemont had to question his own morals, too. He couldn't reason why he was even helping Oak when the man was the cause of ruin in his recent life. There were things Clemont wanted to do instead. Two things, specifically: find Brock, and apologise to Ash's mother. They're the only two ways he could perceive that would somehow allow redemption.

_Maybe that attack was Arceus' way of making us pay for it…_

Through a gap in a cracked wall, Clemont saw Serena and Calem sat beside one another, close enough to be in each other's laps, grinning like Gengar at Bonnie. It made Clemont angrily nauseous. He had realised naïvely late into their journey how infatuated Serena was with Ash, and he'd thought it was beautiful. How she had moved on as if Ash was nothing Clemont couldn't understand. Maybe she'd already forgotten about Ash, too engrossed in Calem. Maybe everybody had. Clemont knew _he_ couldn't forget.

But Clemont didn't care about anybody else's decisions. They weren't important to him anymore. All he was looking for was a chance to escape from Oak's immobilising influence, the fearful thing that had caused Clemont's internal war, to visit Ash's house. Professor Oak had connections everywhere, powerful friends Clemont could only fear, such a wide sphere of power nobody could escape from unless they fled to the lost tropics out at sea. Coupling his contacts with blackmail guaranteed obedience, especially if the reason was to save the one the victim cared about the most.

_Humans are disgusting… _Clemont thought but quickly corrected himself, sighing. _Ash wasn't…_ Maybe if Delia and Brock knew his predicament.

"Hey, Clemont! How're things goin' over here?" Calem asked, swaggering over with a wide grin, his arm tucked pointedly around Serena's slim waist, Bonnie bobbing at their side. Clemont looked him directly in his happy eyes, glared at his arm for a moment, then sighed.

"Fine," he bluntly replied, uncaring whether his attitude was evident. He turned his back, hoping Calem would realise not to continue pestering. He didn't; Calem's arm slapped Clemont's shoulder, pulling his frailer body around again.

"Listen… I'm really sorry, Clemont. I didn't know Ash, but I'd never wish that on anyone. I can see you're sad about it, so why don't you–"

"You can see I'm sad?! Of course, I'm sad; why wouldn't I be?! He was my best friend, and the last thing I did was betray him just to please some… some pathetic and selfish man who dedicated weeks to planning and ruining a teenager's life! A man who blackmailed me, who probably blackmailed more of us, into helping out his scheme–"

"Wait a sec, we weren't blackmailed–" Calem tried to argue, innocently questioning Bonnie and Serena with his grey eyes. The latter couldn't seem to meet his eye for the first time since Clemont had seen them together.

"Just stop. Please. Ash is gone. We – We can't change that. I'm gonna hate myself forever because of it. And I don't mean to sound as petty a person as Oak, but you can't fill Ash's shoes in our group."

"Clemont–" Serena breathed weakly, desperately.

"No, shut up! You were one of the ones hesitant to betray Ash, yeah, but you don't even realise you'd already done it! He loved you, Serena, more than he'd ever shown! Arceus, you kissed him! And then you return with another guy, some stranger you've only spent about a week or two with! _That's_ probably what hurt the most, more even than whatever killed him! Love is such a powerful emotion, you know, but it's like a double-edged blade. Any type of love is beautiful, but there's always that risk of being hurt because of it, isn't there? Love is both happiness and ruin, and causes one just as much as the other!" Clemont shouted. "I _won't_ let you replace him. Nobody can," Clemont said, spinning around and walking away, leaving the trio stood beside the rubble, calling after him.

Clemont didn't care what they thought of him anymore, even Bonnie. He didn't care if Serena was in tears again, or if Calem hated him. The new couple was lost to him. Maybe in the past, he'd been a weak, feeble geek, but losing Ash had changed him, and he felt good about finally expressing himself as he'd just done.

* * *

As Ash formed new bonds in Alola, his old ones, as strong in believed-death as in life, arrived in Kanto. The plane from Sinnoh to Kanto landed at the dawn of dusk – Barry had raved for the entire flight about how he'd fine Oak and everyone there when he saw them, for a whopping ten-million Poké. Paul told him to 'shut the hell up' after the first hour, peeved at his childishness.

Dawn, Gary, Barry, and Paul exited the airport into Viridian City, wherein an old man sat on a bench sipping an espresso, and the Pokémon had returned to the forests. Everything appeared normal again. Getting closer, though, they saw that it wasn't.

They headed into the dark tree line that seemed ominous now and towards Pallet Town. The forest atmosphere held a cautiousness that Gary had never felt before. The purple Ratatta were stalking around trees rather than scampering quickly through the long grass, watching, as if frightened of everything, instead of fighting, and the Beedrill hoards were docile, buzzing quietly between the green leaves that'd lost their emerald lustre to a sickly lifeless green. The wild Pokémon were so denatured it was disturbing.

Taking a shortcut to Oak's ranch Gary remembered, clambering out through the brush, Gary's emotions warred in him. He felt sadness at the loss of his home after seeing the ruins and regret he hadn't been there to protect it, disbelief of everything, but, most significantly, anger at what he saw. Bodies like ambling zombies trudged around the area, many of which Gary recognised as Ash's old friends and Pokémon, all except Snorlax who was beside the pond likely asleep – Gary wouldn't have been surprised if he'd stayed asleep throughout the attack, too durable with its mountainous frame to be injured.

Stepping over the stile, Gary stared at the hoard of Ash's ex-friends that must have agreed to his grandfather's plan where he and the other three had rigidly resisted. The face that shocked him the most was Misty; she and Ash had become such close friends throughout of their journey together that he couldn't imagine a reason she'd agree to betray him. He could see silhouettes in the lab's foyer through a hole in the wall, meaning there were more people present than were currently outside; Gary was livid so many had turned up. Those that weren't cradled in slings and casts were half-heartedly helping move rubble and, as ever, Oak just stood in the centre like some sort of oppressor, lashing orders to everyone without remorse or grief. Gary saw a blonde boy stalk away from Oak, who didn't seem to care; he looked as high-strung as if nothing had happened.

As if Ash was nothing.

_As if Ash was nothing…_ Gary stamped ahead of his small group, his head hanging low, his shoulders swaying, the trio's confused voices questioning him turned to white noise by the angry raising tempo of his thumping heart he could _feel_ beat wrathfully in his ears.

Oak noticed his blatant approach and frowned. "Gary. You're home–" Oak plainly started as if deeming Gary's presence as intrusive, but Gary ignored him and lunged forwards, roaring. Putting his heart in his hand, Gary punched his grandfather directly in the jaw, knocking him harshly to the ground.

"Gary!" Dawn gasped, and Paul barrelled forwards spurred by her cry, grabbing the enraged teen before he could advance any further and continue pummelling his grandfather. Gary kicked out, barely missing Oak's head.

"Stop!" Paul bellowed into Gary's ear, grunting as he tussled with the violent struggling. Barry jumped forwards to seize Gary's other flailing arm a moment after the shellshock.

Gary struggled hard, and the pair had to move with almost the Quick Feet ability to dodge his thrashing. "You traitorous piece of crap!" Gary thrust an elbow at Barry, who yelped as his head swished luckily to the side of it. "How could you?! He was your best pupil, he trusted you more than anyone else!" Gary spat, pushing harder against Paul. "You were all his friends! He did so much for you! You – let go of me, Paul – you – Ekans! All of you!" Finally breaking free of the tight hold by fortuitously jabbing their ankles, Gary charged for Oak again; everybody was too stunned to stop him.

Gary never reached the floored professor, though. A strong force effortlessly, calmly pulled him back by his shirt's collar.

"Let me go–" Gary said, strangled, turning to see his restrainer who he thought was Paul again. But it wasn't Paul. "Dad!"

"Hey, Gary. Hate to reunite like this, but what the hell is going on?!" he asked, releasing his son. Gary was seething as he glared Oak down, flapping the edge of his shirt to straighten the creases, tousling his hair that had dishevelled itself.

"They betrayed him, Dad! Just before he died, they told him to give up being a trainer! Didn't you?! Admit it!" Gary shouted, anger and grief straining his voice.

"What? You mean Ash?" Blue asked, his voice angering too.

"Yeah!" Gary yelled. His grandfather began to stand up, and he desperately wanted to charge him again, but his dad was a tough blockade, holding him back with a hand against his chest, against his heart.

Blue turned to Samuel. Oak glared back, almost as if initiating a duel where they each had to quick draw, see who could get their Pokémon out first. Blue, being the bigger man, dropped his gaze and sighed, folding his arms. "You know, Dad, I only came here to let you know I'm going on a trip to tell someone about Ash–"

"What?!" Oak cried, alarmed as if guessing who Blue was talking about.

"–and to ask you to look after Gary while his mother and sister are in the hospital but–"

"What?!" Gary cried this time.

"Yeah, it happened in the attack," Blue calmly said, scanning everyone simultaneously, then Ash's Pokémon. "Ash came home _so_ excited to see everyone. Man, he was basically in heaven! It was great, friendly, something I loved to see after… Nevermind. When I heard the news, I'd have come right over, but I've been at the hospital for the past few days waiting to see if Yellow and Daisy are ok, people I _actually _care about. Gary was in Sinnoh, so I knew he was fine. I wish I hadn't now, having come back to this farse. You messed the hell up, _Dad_." Blue brushed a stressed hand through his hair, spiking it upwards a little more. "I'm leaving on that short trip. When _we _get back – because there will be two of us– we'll talk about this properly, _Dad_. Gary, could ya stick around? Take care of your mother and sister?

"Of course!" Gary said firmly, a feeling of duty falling upon him. He'd do anything for his father, who he hadn't seen in so long. He couldn't wait to sit down and have a real heart-to-heart with him.

"And don't let your grandfather leave Pallet," Blue added.

Gary hardened a glare. "My pleasure."

Samuel retreated a few steps, huffed, then spun around, his lab-coat Dracula's cape, and stomped back into the lab, followed by his obedient cohort. The only one that remained outside was a blonde boy Gary didn't recognise, who stood tensely still, his jumpsuit patched with mud and dust. Gary stared him down with surprise rather than anger, almost admiring his gall to remain there having seen their collective vexation.

"I'm sorry…" he quietly said before running off into what was once Pallet Town. After he was gone, it was just the five of them, stood in amongst the dissipating anger.

"Phew," Blue whistled, "nice punch."

* * *

Gary, as his grandfather had announced him, had done the same thing to Clemont that Brock had; he made him feel significantly worse about what he'd done. He hoped meeting up with Brock and Delia would do the opposite. Thankfully, Gary's interruption allowed him to escape.

Clemont followed the directions to Ash's house he'd once been told when they'd discussed visiting. He found the white-walled house that Ash had so fondly described to him easily, seeing as it was the only building remaining in the flattened town.

Clemont stood at the door with sweaty palms, rehearsing different ways to apologise in his head before he could cluster the courage to knock and face the undeniable wrath that he so deserved from either Brock or Delia. Clemont quickly decided he'd have to apologise directly, outright, beg if he had to, any way to let them hear his story, his version of events. They had to know.

Putting his shaky hand to the wood, Clemont, terrified, knocked on the door with three quick clacks. Footsteps thundered on the other side, and the door swung open, Brock appearing behind it, his expression quickly souring.

"What do _you _want?" Brock demanded furiously, squinting fiercely, moving into the door frame to block it like an unmoveable rock wall.

"I'm sorry!" Clemont shouted, bowing his head as low as he could. "I'm a coward, a complete fool! I'm a terrible person! What I did to Ash is unforgivable, and I can't do anything to make up for it! I'm sorry! I don't expect forgiveness. I only want a chance to explain my side of the story to you!" Clemont quickly said in a jumble of forced words. The tears came immediately, his admittance of his own inadequacies worsening them.

"W-What?" Brock asked, his cracking voice betraying his hardened eyes.

"Who is it, Brock?" Delia asked, walking up behind his shoulder.

Clemont flung himself upwards from his bow, catching Delia's eyes for the first time in person; she was a beautiful woman, he thought, with the same eyes as Ash. "Mrs Ketchum…" Clemont respectfully muttered, his voice feeble and quiet.

"Clemont…" Delia muttered back sympathetically, just as a mother's tone would be when doting her child.

"He was with the group that betrayed Ash," Brock notified, but Delia didn't seem to care. She lightly moved Brock's arm and wrapped her arms around Clemont in a tight hug. Clemont didn't respond. It'd been a long time since he'd felt such a hearty hug, and he couldn't help feeling he was in his mother's arms.

Clemont numbly followed her as she guided him into the comfort of Ash's house, into the living room, and down onto the settee. Delia handed him some tissues.

"Thank you…" he meekly responded.

"That's alright, Clemont," Delia said, adjusting her dress as she sat down opposite, beside Brock who impatiently beat his foot against the ground. Clemont didn't blame his distrust. He'd have been just as annoyed if somebody that had betrayed his best friend appeared before him begging a chance. Clemont was only thankful Delia was so benevolent, full of ambiguity. "Clemont, can I ask you why you've come over?"

Clemont nodded, wiping his eyes quickly. "Yes, sorry. I'm really sorry, Mrs Ketchum. I failed Ash. I couldn't stand up to Oak…"

"What do you mean?" Brock asked carefully. His tone had fallen to a calmer beat that Clemont appreciated.

"I'm sorry… I could've stuck up for Ash when they all… But I didn't do it. I couldn't. Oak's influence… You don't know how truly terrifying he can be," Clemont said.

"What do you mean, Clemont?" Delia repeated for Brock. "Take a deep breath, and tell us all that happened."

"O-Ok…" Clemont muttered, doing as she said. He shakily explained, "B-Bonnie and I received a call from Professor Oak just before Ash left Kalos, a-and he said it was to throw a surprise party for Ash. Of course, we wanted to be a part of that so we agreed and flew over before Ash would, thinking we were two weeks, a-week-and-a-half ahead of him. Nobody knew he was leaving early – we thought he was taking his time off to explore a little more on his own. We got to Kanto and went to Oak's lab. When we got there, all of Ash's friends were there, all looking happy and pleased with themselves. We met Serena, who… who had found a boyfriend in a week over in Hoenn. I found out the next day."

Delia gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth. "No… And Ash had just told me his feelings for her…"

"I-I was just as shocked. The same day we arrived, Oak approached us all and told us his plan: to make Ash stop being a Pokémon trainer. Many agreed or were undecided because of his convincing pitch about it being for Ash's benefit. Only a few of us outright disagreed. Serena and I were two of them. I think another of them was called Misty, and lastly, there was someone named Ritchie. With only the four of us, we were overwhelmed. I wanted to leave. Later that night, Oak talked to the four of us that disagreed. He-He… said that, if I didn't agree, he'd hurt Bonnie, my sister…" Clemont answered. Delia gasped again, and Brock drew a sharp breath.

"That little–" he began, but Delia placed a hand on Brock's knee to calm him.

"He threatened your little sister?" Delia softly asked.

"Yes. I thought nothing of his threat at first. I planned to leave with Bonnie and ignore him. But then, after he'd talked with Ritchie, who came out shouting at Oak in disagreement, Ritchie was sent to the hospital an hour later with severe injuries. When I woke up the next morning, Bonnie was trying to patch herself up because she'd somehow gotten a large cut on her shoulder overnight."

"He didn't!" Brock yelled, jumping to his feet as if preparing to charge out of the door.

Clemont shrugged. "I couldn't think of anything else to do. I had to follow his orders, or Bonnie would've gotten hurt really badly… I'm sorry, I know that doesn't excuse what happened, but I–" Clemont stopped when he felt somebody grab onto him in a tight hug. He expected it to be Delia, but the deep whimpering wasn't her voice. It was Brock.

"No! Don't say that, Clemont! You did the right thing, no matter how hard it was!" Brock said, pulling Clemont to arm's length. "I have many siblings, and I can see why you had to. I get it entirely, don't apologise. I was as close to Ash as I am my true siblings, so it would have been a heart-wrenching decision for me. If you're that close to your sister, you did what you thought was right!" Brock preached.

Relieved he wasn't reproached by them, Clemont sighed deeply. Brock grabbed his shoulder comfortingly. Delia remained quiet on the settee, watching them.

"Don't worry, Clemont," Brock said, wiping his eyes, "we're going to get your sister out of there."


	11. Chapter 10: Rockruff's Battle

Chapter 10:

Rockruff's Battle

Ash retired to the warmth of his borrowed room late into dusk on Tuesday concluding another day of adventuring, of making essential progress into his Island Challenge. Over the last three days, Ash had discovered a few more Alolan Pokémon for a start: a Normal-Type with sharp triangular teeth and beady eyes, known as Yungoos, whose brown coat was separated by a stripe of yellow fur, and a tiny, white and yellow, pretty fly Pokémon named Cutiefly, a Bug-Fairy Type.

No matter how beautiful, tempting, unsightly, or cool the wild Pokémon imposed themselves as when battling, each different nature attracting in its own way, Ash decided not to catch any of them. He wanted Rockruff to be his very first Alolan Pokémon.

He explored the route a little more thoroughly that afternoon and surmised it was created for the beginners, to dote them through their emergence into the Pokémon world. It was a simplistic path paved along the steep edges of the cliffs, climbing higher and higher from the sea below, beside the forest. The way the path shepherded him towards the trial location was his first hint that it was for beginners. It led directly to the cave wherein the first trial was to be conducted, a discovery that greatly excited Ash. Two tall wooden pillars embedded into grey cobbled plinths, marked with similar tribal-like, exotic symbols to those Ash had seen all over Alola, towered on each side of a gaping cave entrance. Triangular shapes matching those of the trial amulet branched from the pillar's sides. Standing opposite the Poké-Center, it was unmissable even to young beginners. The fact that a Poké-Center was directly opposite was his second hint.

Ash's seasoned mind quickly discerned that Melemele was a tutorial island seeing as everything was so obvious, and that was why it felt so easy to him.

Back in his room, Ash was anticipating the trail more than ever. Fiery energy permeated his very muscle fibres, enforcing a restless excitement that prevented sleep; Ash was no longer kept awake because of any dismal thoughts or doubts about his worth. He had reclaimed himself as of late, lying awake at night imagining battling scenarios and generating tactics to practice the next day that even professionals wouldn't consider, as was his uniquely reckless style.

Pikachu, on the other hand, collapsed into a snoreless slumber when they returned. Ash wasn't sure how exactly he become so exhausted since Rockruff had battled all day in his place again, but it wasn't an issue. He knew it wouldn't be long before Pikachu became bored of sitting around, watching, waiting. He had to let Pikachu battle, and he planned to do just that during the trial.

Ash finally started to fade into sleep about twenty minutes later, his eyelids dropping a black curtain as fatigue overcame his electric thoughts of teaching Staraptor or Heracross a new move until the floorboards creaked and the hinges of the chestnut door cried like a Klinklang.

Ash sat up slightly frustrated, knowing falling asleep again would be difficult. He was curious what awoke him though, so he peered out of the now ajar door. Rockruff slowly crept along the landing to the stairs, his head whipping like a scanner around him.

Where's he going? Ash wondered, throwing his day clothes back on hurriedly and following the small dog.

Rockruff started running around the corner outside the Poké-Center door, so Ash sped up, passing Nurse Joy and three others, who were dressed oddly in pink and black outfits, some sort of uniform with bear hats, on the way out.

Rockruff scampered quickly, rushing into the forestry in the direction of Kukui's house. He turned ninety-degrees of the grass patch behind the shack, towards the mountain overlooking the bay like a heavenly plateau, brushing beyond a wall of bushes into forest. Ash clambered through the vines and ferns after the quick little Pokémon, spotting him exit into a clearing. A small pond opened out in front of a grotto behind the trees, a little scenic area.

Rockruff clearly didn't want to be seen, so Ash crept to the outer trees and bushes silently, keeping his eyes fixed on Rockruff's slowing steps until other movement made him look elsewhere. A small huddle of Pokémon – Metapod, Grubbin, Pikipek, Pidgey, a few unidentified ones – tentatively sidled around the sides of the grotto, peaking inside whenever they dared a close enough step. Each time they only looked for a second before leaping backwards.

Ash moved a little closer for a more revealing look through the bushes. Inside sat a Clauncher, a Kalos Water-Type Pokémon, a foreigner, Ash assumed, to Alola. The other Pokémon looked scared of the Clauncher, not nearing it enough to be noticed, or simply from the fright of seeing a stranger.

Ash then watched unfold a scene entirely divergent to the timid peaking. Rockruff leapt a corner of the pond and dashed into the arched grotto, barking loudly, which awoke the Clauncher.

What's he doing? Ash wondered, laying into a comfortable position, watching. Is he…?

The Clauncher immediately thrust a powerful Crabhammer towards Rockruff, its usually deadpanned squinting. Rockruff seemed to expect it and jumped backwards. Suddenly, they threw themselves together into a brawl, and the surrounding, wimpier Pokémon ran around to cheer, for Rockruff Ash assumed. The only solution Ash could surmise was that Clauncher, not a native species, had taken over the area having arriving ashore from the sea, and had stolen the other Pokémon's home.

Is Rockruff trying to protect their home? Ash wondered, watching as Rockruff hit Clauncher with a Tackle, but was caught with Vice Grip immediately. Clauncher threw Rockruff up, slammed its claw into him with Crabhammer, knocking him out of the grotto and into the pond. But Rockruff leapt back out, darting towards Clauncher in rage, his fur a shaggy, sopping mess. The Tackle hit, and Clauncher went for Vice Grip again.

Rockruff leaned left, Clauncher dived in, then Rockruff jumped right, just as Staraptor had done to Infernape. Ash grinned, impressed with the small Pokémon. Another two Tackles hit, but, a moment later, a final Crabhammer hit Rockruff, ending the fight. The surrounding Pokémon scattered, and Clauncher slinked back into the cave, clicking its menacing, hammer-claw in what could only be a jeering taunt.

Ash watched Rockruff momentarily, gutted for him. He thought to go and pick him up, take him back to the Poké-Center, but then Rockruff painfully wobbled onto its paws and limped its way back through the forest.

Ash let him be. If this was where Rockruff came every night, that meant he did this every day. Recalling what Kukui had said about meeting Rockruff in the forest, injured, Ash wondered for how long he had been at it, trying to defeat the Clauncher. It must have been a while.

Ash walked back to the Poké-Center before Rockruff. He thought of the situation the whole walk. The fact that Rockruff was sneaking out meant he didn't want Ash to know about it, and yet, Ash was compelled to offer any assistance he could now that he saw his struggles. Ash didn't know what he felt more strongly: guilt for spying or relief he knew what was going on. Either way, his compassionate nature forced him to want to help.

Pikachu was alert, perched on the bed and staring at the door when Ash returned. He lay on the bed, explained to Pikachu what went on, and waited for Rockruff to crawl through the door and fall asleep.

Ash couldn't sleep. He moved from his bed to the armchair in the corner, where he and Pikachu conferred. The obvious disadvantage for Rockruff was the type match up. Rockruff had improved significantly in battling, but Clauncher had a big advantage given the fact that it knew Crabhammer, which signified it was fairly experienced. That meant Rockruff would need something to combat Water-Types. But what move could he learn, as a Rock-Type?

Fed-up of lazing there, Ash exited the room with Pikachu for some light training, hoping that would churn the cogs in his head. Infernape followed them out after stirring, accompanied later by Heracross, who had been resting his eyes rather than sleeping; Heracross seemed the most restless of his older Pokémon.

It wasn't until Ash had Infernape and Pikachu spar on their own, after Heracross vs Pikachu, that inspiration sparked within him.

Inferape unleashed a barrage of multiple Mach Punches, tricking Pikachu into thinking it was Close Combat, so he was hit when Infernape made a dextrous movement Close Combat's rapidity didn't allow. Pikachu jumped into the air after being hit, then sent a Thunderbolt diagonally towards Infernape, who unleashed Mach Punch to counter the attack. Infernape was knocked backwards against Pikachu's power. When Infernape clambered to his feet, holding his fists up to continue fighting, the fist that he used to counter Pikachu's attack was still glowing with the Mach Punch's light but had the electricity from Thunderbolt sparking around it.

That's it! Ash thought, jumping excitedly.

"Infernape, Pikachu, we're gonna work again in the morning so I want you guys to get some good rest! See ya all in the morning!" Ash said, and dashed inside without another word, leaving the others very confused out on the battlefield.

"Pika?"

Infernape shrugged, and the three returned to the room.

* * *

Rather than treading the dirt of the route or visiting the Malasada shop to wolf breakfast, Ash ran down beside Kukui's house early the next morning, at about six, when the sun began to poke above the sea. The golden sand gleamed in the daybreak. Ash was eager to start training.

Ash crouched beside Rockruff on the sand after a light jog, who responded with a curious blink.

"Alright, don't get mad… I followed you out last night. I saw you battling that Clauncher," Ash admitted. Rockruff's eyes widened at first, then he lowered his head in what Ash could only assume was embarrassment or shame. "Hey, no! Don't be like that! I thought it was awesome what you did out there. You were awesome! It looked like you were trying to take back their home.

"Thing is, that Clauncher has a big type advantage over you. But don't worry! We've overcome type advantages so many times before, and I've got a great way for you to do that! Just watch this carefully, ok?" Ash said, rustling Rockruff's head. Rockruff looked back up, and Ash smiled, retreating to where Infernape and Pikachu were squaring off.

"Alright, Pikachu I want you to use Thunderbolt, and Infernape, try to block it with Mach Punch!" Ash instructed. He immediately saw the realisation in Pikachu; he knew exactly what Ash was planning. Pikachu unleashing Thunderbolt, and Infernape punched out with Mach Punch. They cut off their moves simultaneously and, sure enough, Infernape's fist was sparking weakly with lightning once more. It disappeared in a moment.

Ash returned to Rockruff, who's head was jarred to the side. "It's simple! We use Bite to teach you Thunder Fang just as I'm gonna teach Infernape Thunder Punch with Mach Punch!" Ash explained gleefully, practically jumping on the spot. He heard a deep sigh from behind him in response.

"Pikachu, pika!" Pikachu called, smiling in amusement.

"Uhh – yeah, of course we're going to teach you Bite! I know I haven't yet, Pikachu," Ash said, folding his arms stubbornly. Pikachu shrugged, sighing.

"What do you say Rockruff?" Ash asked, grinning. "You wanna learn Bite first, then go for Thunder Fang?"

By the yelp of determined joy Ash received from Rockruff, he knew he accepted. So, Ash dedicated the entirety of that day to learning Bite – Thunder Fang would later. He didn't want to rush things.

"I've had some of my Pokémon know Bite before," Ash explained, facing Rockruff and Infernape, who faced off. "From what I've experienced, it's only an enhanced, powered-up bite with a Dark-Typing. Your jaw glows a bright white and then you just bite down! Just imagine power generating in your jaw, envisage it, feel yourself being able to break through rock with only your teeth. Imagine that power, and gather it inside yourself, then let it go. Infernape's a Fighting-Type, so it won't affect him much. Give it your all!"

Rockruff barked determinedly. He dug his paws deep into the sand, hunched his body forwards, tensed his muscles. His jaw, a menacing set of baby canines, hung ajar, a growling rumbling from his core. Unleashing the rumble in a bellow, Rockruff darted forwards, opened its mouth wide, and bit towards Infernape, who easily caught the powerless attempt.

"It's hard to get it the first time!" Ash encouraged, and Rockruff tried again, yielding the same results.

"Let's try it again!" Ash shouted, just as determined. Rockruff tried another three attempts that ended just the same. Infernape caught every attempt, each of which did not produce anything resembling the move at all. But Ash wasn't discouraged.

"This time, Rockruff, start with your jaw locked, tightened, gathering as much energy as you can. Feel the power welling up! When you open your jaw wide, transfer it to your canines! It sounds hard, but you can do this!"

Rockruff barked, bounded away, and followed the instructions. He crouched, locking his jaw. He waited for about ten seconds then dashed forwards, wrenching his teeth apart. For a second, as Rockruff bit Infernape's arm, his jaw flickered white. Ash grinned despite the attack being just as ineffective.

"Awesome!" Ash yelled, running over. "I saw it! A little bit of the power was there! We've got this! Take it from the top!" Rockruff, spurred by his comment, barked and jumped away, restarting the movement.

* * *

Kukui wandered out from the shack up-beach at about lunchtime. There was a grin on his face as he approached.

"Hah! I should've known it was you, Ash! Alola!"

"Keep it going, guys! I'll be back in a sec!" Ash shouted to his Pokémon, and ran over to Kukui, sitting beside him as he slid onto a bench. "Alola?" Ash said back, his voice questioning rather than meaningful. He'd heard people saying it around the island, but never understood its meaning.

"Yeah! See, here in Alola, that's how we greet people, cousin!" Kukui explained, sitting down on a bench just to Ash's side.

"I get it!"

"Are these all your Pokémon, Ash?" Kukui asked, looking at each one individually.

"They are! Infernape, the one battling Rockruff, is from Sinnoh, the one with the leafy tail is Sceptile, from Hoenn, the blue, bug-looking one is Heracross, from Johto, Staraptor is the bird Pokémon, also from Sinnoh. And, as you know, Pikachu's from Kanto," Ash explained, much to Kukui's delight.

"Woah, you got any others?" Kukui asked, still looking at them all as if he'd never seen them before. Ash wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't.

"Ah," Ash paused, looking down. "I used to have loads, yeah. Some from each of the regions I said, then there were some from Unova, and I've got some from Kalos back home, with a friend."

"Man, you've been everywhere, haven't ya?! That's awesome! Who even are you, Ash?" Kukui asked in a lighthearted voice, making Ash laugh. "You and Lillie will get along great when you tell her about all that! She'll be bombarding you with questions, yeah!"

Ash smiled, "Yeah, I know she will. Just, uh, can you not make a big deal of it, please? I… don't really like to think about my other Pokémon much," Ash muttered somewhat vaguely; he didn't consider them his Pokémon anymore.

"Of course, yeah, no need to worry! People have stuff they don't wanna talk about! Anyways, I'd best head off to go meet a friend. Good luck with the trainin'! It looks like some true, good-ol move training to me!" Kukui said, standing up.

"Yep! We're giving it a real go! And a friend, huh?" Ask asked quizzically.

"Hah, ya got me! If ya need anything, Lillie's at the house. She wants to spend a day reading, so she'll be there as long as you need her! See ya soon!" Kukui said, walking back up the beach. Ash called after him, then returned to training.

By the end of the morning, Rockruff could retain the glow whitening his jaw throughout his charge, then it'd fade and weaken the blow just before he bit down. A light lunch replenished their energy, and they went right back to training. Staraptor, Heracross, Sceptile, and Pikachu started training independently against one another, a sight Ash was pleased to see. If it were him, he'd have been bored just watching; they were just as determined as he was. By mid-afternoon, Rockruff had nearly completed the move. After all, Bite was a simple move in the wider world. Thunder Fang, however, was going to be a lot harder to master.

"Alright, the sun's setting, let's give it a final push, get one perfect move, then we'll work on powering it up tomorrow!" Ash called, and Rockruff yelped his agreement.

Rockruff crouched low again, tensing his knees to ninety degrees. Lowered his head. He bit down hard, baring his tightened fangs, and growled deeply. Ash could see the white light of the Bite forming already. Rockruff dug in his feet, scraping small tread-marks into the soft sand, then pounced, dashing along the beach. He jumped, opened his jaw wide, which glinted. He unleashed the Bite on Infernape, who winced and skidded back along the sand. Rockruff landed, waited for the glow to fade, and started yipping and jumping. The move was successful.

Ash dashed over, yelling proudly, and then, suddenly, Rockruff fell over from tiredness. Smiling gently, Ash returned his Pokémon and carried Rockruf back to the Poké-Center on the other shoulder to Pikachu.

* * *

Ash wasn't at all disheartened three days later when Rockruff hadn't made any progress towards learning Thunder Fang.

Naturally, at first, he considered the possibility that his idea wasn't going to work as he pictured it in his mind. It was a simple thought; because physical Pokémon moves are enacted through the use of some type-altered energy, Ash had the idea that, if a move already had a type and a similar move existed, he'd be able to change the compound make-up of the move with a different type. In a sense, he'd change the basic formation of the move by electrifying it with Thunderbolt, therefore allowing that Dark-Type energy generated for Bite to become an Electric-Type. It seemed farfetched, and it was something he'd never attempted before, but his instincts told him it'd work. He only needed to imagine Greninja's flaming Water Shuriken, a thought that reaffirmed his confidence.

He discarded the negativity when Infernape started preserving the lightning for longer periods, and then on the second day, little sparks burst from Mach Punch when he used it. It was looking up.

After the first day, Ash found the simple use of Thunderbolt to be a bit boring, so he incorporated it into a battle scenario where Rockruff and Infernape had to fight Pikachu only using Bite and Mach Punch, and Pikachu could only use Thunderbolt. Pikachu held his ground against both of them as well as training them amidst it. It was spectacular to watch.

On the fourth day, Ash finally achieved significant results. Pikachu fired a quick Thunderbolt, and Infernape countered with Mach Punch. A blinding glint emitted where the two moves connected, and the Mach Punch completely absorbed the lightning, so Infernape stood there brandishing a Thunder Punch. A moment later, the move disengaged. Ash ran at Infernape, begging him to try it out. On his first try, he brought up a Mach Punch, then, on his second, a sparking, yellow, fully-formed Thunder Punch cracked around his fist.

Ash's grin stretched wider than the sea's horizon afterwards. He now knew it was possible, and, seeing it completed, Rockruff was spurred with a re-found determination, as if not to be outdone by Infernape. They got back to work immediately, a repetitive, tiresome process that'd become second nature at this point; Ash didn't even need to give Pikachu the command. Infernape, exhausted from his efforts but running on fumes of adrenaline, tested his new move against Heracross, whose eagerness to battle was palpable.

Ash returned to the Poké-Center that night exhausted but pleased; things were slowly getting there. He'd not expected results to be immediate, of course. Despite his tiredness, he didn't go to sleep. Taking Pikachu and Sceptile that day, Ash ventured out onto the route later in the night to battle some trainers who weren't like those he'd seen through the days. It appeared the stronger trainers on Melemele ventured at night. Ash guessed it was because they had day jobs. Nevertheless, it provided him with sufficient money, training, and a reputation as the undefeated trainer with a Pikachu. Nearly a week after meeting Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, and Sophocles, whom he met up with before or after his training each day, Ash felt at home in Alola.

Sunday morning – and the fifth day of training – came again. Before he could leave the Poké-Center, his older Pokémon, awake much before himself, asked if they could train separately for the day, somewhere in the forests where they could privately battle. Ash agreed as if it were a silly question; he trusted them to be on their own more than he trusted himself to be. They eagerly ran out of the Poké-Center and into the forest as Ash wandered down the side of Kukui's house, passing all the same city streets that were slightly busier given the weekend had come. He waved good morning to a kind old lady behind a market stall he'd passed every day, shopped at some days for berries and fruit.

They progressed quite well that morning. Rockruff had acquired that initial hope of success Infernape had; sparks flying whenever he used Bite. He was trying extra hard that day. Lunch came along quickly after that success, and they were greeted with their second guest to the sessions as Lillie walked down the beach, a book clutched in her arms.

Tossing his cap atop his bag and ruffling his hair, Ash sad down beside Lillie on the bench and sighed. "Morning!" he breathed, his breaths deeper from training.

"Good afternoon, Ash."

"Oh," Ash said, causing Lillie to laugh. "Anyway, I haven't seen you in two days. What's been going on?"

"Not much, really. I've been spending a lot of time reading and helping out the Professor with his errands. He was supposed to attend and observe a few lessons at the Pokémon School, but he couldn't make them, so I stepped in to observe and take notes on his behalf."

"How'd that go?" Ash asked, adjusting his leg to rest on top of his other knee.

"I-I was very nervous at first, but the young students were very nice to be around, so it was fun! I even got to give them tips on how to draw a Pikachu," Lillie explained avidly.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked across the beach, only to be struck directly with an electric-charged Bite from Rockruff. It wasn't quite there yet. Lillie gasped, panicked, then sighed when Pikachu jumped right back up.

"H-Have you been training out here long?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah, a few hours we've been at it today. It's been good. I'm teaching Rockruff how to use Thunder Fang," Ash explained fervidly.

Lillie looked surprised. "Umm, Ash, from what I know, Rockruff can only learn Thunder Fang through breeding."

"Huh, really?"

Lillie nodded. "F-From what I've researched, yes."

"I get it, yeah… Is that a fact, though?" Ash countered, folding his arms thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"There's so much more to Pokémon than you can read in books. I don't mean for that to sound insulting to you or anything, it's just that you can't experience everything without living amongst Pokémon." Ash looked out to Rockruff and Pikachu practising. "We've done so many things we shouldn't have been able to over the years if we're taking research as a definite truth. Take Pikachu for example. Do you know about the move Volt Tackle?"

Lillie nodded slowly, listening carefully to Ash.

"My Pikachu learned it on-the-fly, during a battle. According to professional research, Pikachu is only supposed to be able to learn Volt Tackle having been hatched as a Pichu from breeding, same as you're saying about Thunder Fang. But we haven't needed to. What I'm trying to say is a lot more is possible than Professors' findings tell. Take another of my Pokémon; he learned Cut when it's not in his researched moveset. See what I mean?"

Lillie nodded again.

"So, from what I know, some types of physical moves share the same basic idea. Take Mach Punch, Thunder Punch, and Fire Punch as examples. They're all a single-handed punching move with a type-alteration, but the same basic principles and power are needed. So, if we know one, and that Pokémon can learn the others, why can't we use a Special-Type move to alter it? It's a weird thought, and hard to understand, but it works!"

"Wow… That's amazing thinking… There's more to learn by experiencing it?" Lillie whispered, glancing over at Pikachu and Rockruff just as Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt at Rockruff's Bite. "Is there still that much more to learn?"

The moves collided. When the Thunderbolt stopped, Rockruff stood there with an electrified jaw. He pounced at Pikachu and delivered the blow. The Thunder Fang faded, then Rockruff brought it back again. Lillie jumped to her feet and started clapping, clearly enlightened by the new revelation.

"Lillie," Ash said suddenly as she sat back down, "how about we decide on something?"

Lillie blinked, "What do you mean?"

"You've spent a lot of time reading and learning that way, and I've spent a lot of time experiencing different situations and ideas out in the world. How about we help each other to learn? I'll help you experience more, and you help me with some theory stuff; I'm not exactly the most focused person ever, so there's a lot you could teach me! It'll benefit both of us, don't you think?" Ash asked, grinning.

Lillie gently smiled, looking a little disheartened. "That sounds amazing, Ash. But I-I don't know if I can. I have this… phobia. I can't touch or be near any Pokémon without having a type of panic attack. I don't know why, but I can't do it…" she said. Ash looked stunned for a moment. The look in Lillie's eye told Ash it was a real burden to her. If there was one thing in the world he could never do, it was avoid Pokémon. He couldn't imagine being afraid of them. They were his entire life. In that way, he empathised with Lillie's situation.

"I had no idea…" Ash replied calmly. "In that case, I'll help you overcome it. Whatever it takes, I'll help you through it to get you used to all Pokémon. You can count on me! I promise!"

"Ash…" Lillie said. Ash saw her eyes starting to water but soon forgot about it when her smile came. "You'll really try to help?"

"Of course! I'd do anything for a friend!" Ash answered jovially.

"Let's do it!" Lillie cheerfully replied.

* * *

Ash, accompanied by Pikachu, slinked back around the side of the brush that night as Rockruff confidently leapt into Clauncher's grotto. This was it; the final bout.

The battle engaged as soon as Clauncher awoke once again to the sound of Rockruff's violent barking. This time, he unleashed a powerful Vice Grip with his pincer, slicing through the air like a sword. Rockruff slapped his paws into the earth, throwing a Sand Attack into Clauncher's eyes, causing the Vice Grip to wildly miss. A well-placed Tackle, while Clauncher was immobilised, sent the Water-Type hurdling into the back wall of the grotto. The Pokémon around the sides crept around to watch again.

"Go on Rockruff…" Ash muttered, and Pikachu whispered his agreement.

Clauncher recovered quickly and steeled itself to the spot. An orange glow encircled its feet, and holograms of swords clashing surrounded Clauncher's body. Ash grimaced. Swords Dance.

Rockruff opened its white jaw for a Bite, but Clauncher countered with a fast jab of Crabhammer that scraped Rockruff left-hind-leg, spinning him off balance through the air. Rockruff yelped; Clauncher advanced, brandishing another Crabhammer. He thrust it towards Rockruff's body and connected. Another rapid repetition headed for Rockruff's face; Rockruff opened his jaw wide, and electricity engulfed his fangs. The Crabhammer connected just as Rockruff bit down, sending an electric current sparking across Clauncher's body. Clauncher cried out with a stuttering, electrocuted voice, and a moment later, Rockruff relaxed his jaw and jumped away, starting to bark loudly at his opponent. Pikachu grinned at Ash's side, explaining how Rockruff was taunting Clauncher for his previous cockiness.

Clauncher soon shook off the blow and scuttled in again, only this time it unleashed a close-range Water Gun with the speed of a missile, clattering into an unexpectant Rockruff, who skidded out of the grotto to the lake's edge. Clauncher charged again with Crabhammer.

Rockruff was prepared. He stabbed his paws into the ground and jumped above Clauncher, who stumbled from his forceful thrust of Crabhammer. Rockruff capitalised on his wobble and flattened Clauncher's back from above with Tackle, rotating in a corkscrew downwards, bouncing off after the impact.

Clauncher slowly stood, but Rockruff was faster. He fastened a grip on Clauncher's pincer with Bite and then ignited Thunder Fang. The Super-Effective move started smoking Clauncher's body. Rockruff released again and jumped backwards, poising for another attack. But one didn't come; Clauncher attempted another Water Gun, but it failed. Clauncher collapsed. Rockruff won.

Ash didn't care that the other Pokémon wanted to celebrate with Rockruff. He ran through the bushes and grabbed Rockruff first, lifting him high in the air, as Hau had done to Rowlet. Rockruff yipped and barked, and Ash shouted and cheered; nobody saw Clauncher slip into the lake and out the other end, heading back towards the sea. When Ash started jumping, his bag lurched on his back, and something fell out. Rockruff struggled out of his grip and jumped to the ground. When Ash looked at what he was doing, he finally heard, he finally understood Rockruff's bark before he disappeared in white light.

Thank you.

Rockruff tapped the Pokéball's button and disappeared inside.

It barely shook.

It snapped shut.

Ash caught his first Alolan Pokémon.


	12. Chapter 11: The First Trial

Chapter 11:

The First Trial

Rockruff's barks resounding like a wolf pack's howls and clicks from his honed claws tapping the varnished wooden floor disturbed the next morning's tranquillity and jerked Ash awake. Dawn gleamed through the drawn-across curtains, a single glittering golden light flickering in and out with the movement of the fabric, swept by the breeze

Ash yawned and stretched, and spotted Rockruff capering in a circle on a patch of oak flooring beside the red fringe of a warm-coloured rug Staraptor slept on; Pikachu lay on one of Staraptor's retracted ash-grey wings, as if it was a nest. Rockruff was tumultuous, voicing such a varied ensemble of yipping Ash expected to see more of his species, or a Double Team, poorly harmonising.

_I finally won!_ Ash understood from Rockruff's persistent shouting, then, _My home is safe!_

That sentence jerked Ash again, awakening him to full concentration. Mentally banishing any fatigue, he sat up. "Rockruff, that was your home, too?" Ash asked lightly.

Rockruff stopped jumping; he flicked his small head up and down a few more times than necessary. He barked again, telling Ash he'd lived a comfortable couple of years in the grotto with his brother and sister until they'd been caught by some trainers – his sister first, then his brother a year or so ago. What he divulged next pricked Ash's heart as if a hundred syringe needles withdrew his recent memories and squeezed only the misery back through his skin: Rockruff felt like he'd been abandoned, betrayed by his family for alerting themselves and wanting to be caught. For leaving him alone.

Ash didn't consider the surreal fact that he understood Rockruff's every bark or squeak perfectly as he clambered out of bed and pulled Rockruff tight against his chest, which freshly ached from the inside, when, only a few hours before – maybe ten – he'd not been able to. Ash sat on the bed's squashy edge and began to explain to Rockruff how he shared similar feelings after his own ordeal. He explained about his friends and his Pokémon, and their attempt to disassemble his dreams with fleeting, vulnerable honesty in a moment of pure bonding, of getting to know his new Pokémon like a best friend.

Sceptile stirred across the room, interrupting the personal moment. Rockruff's contagious joy resurfaced when Ash let him down as if they'd not even mentioned the heart-aching subject, and Ash was suddenly imbued with it too, forgetting his recollection as he watched Rockruff bound side-to-side. Something about sharing experiences with another lessened the burden.

Ash washed and dressed expeditiously – a sheen coated his damp hair, framing his face to model-like resemblance. Allowing Staraptor out through the window to stretch his wings momentarily, Ash collected his Pokémon, stowing their Pokéballs in his bag. He moved hastily across the room, tussling his bag onto his back, tossing open the curtains half-way, haphazardly, scuffing the rug as he yanked the door and darted onto the landing. He couldn't contain himself; he was challenging the first trial that day. His veins pumped energy instead of blood.

Despite himself and his impatient haste, Ash didn't know how to begin the trial, was clueless to the order and organisation of the Island Challenge. He needed to consult somebody about it first. Instead of picking up breakfast from his favourite stall and greeting the gentle old woman tending it, Ash turned away from the market, heading towards Aina Café, towards Mallow. She lived the closest and was training to be one of the next Trial Captains, after all.

* * *

The sign flipped to read 'Closed' – written in curly print – hung across the door's window, but Ash ignored it, running recklessly into the café. Mallow was stood behind the counter, facing the other way, her long green hair stretching down her back, below even her waist, relishing its freedom from the coil of her white hair ties, which usually styled her locks like two curved flower stems. She whipped around, her hair swishing when the door clicked open and the bell jingled, and her cheeks flushed pink.

"Ash! What are you doing here?" Mallow asked, brushing down a tuft of hair that slightly poked from behind her ear.

"Morning, Mallow! I was wondering if you could tell me how I start a Trial?" Ash said, his cheeks highlighted red from running.

"Sure! Take a seat, I'll be there in a second!" Mallow replied, unclipping her apron hastily.

"Thank you!" Ash called. He pulled out a chair and sat down.

Mallow quickly skipped over, her apron resting on, its strings dangling over, the counter, her overalls folded at her waist. "Sorry, I didn't expect anyone here so early!"

"It's my fault for barging in. You should've kicked me out, really," Ash said.

Mallow giggled, "I couldn't have done that."

"You do seem too nice to kick someone out!"

"Well," Mallow said. "Lana says I'm like a parent. I'd help anybody like a parent would help any child, not specifically their own. Or they should, but… does that makes sense?"

"Uhh, not exactly… But I think I get it!" Ash said.

Mallow smiled. "So, what is it you want to know, exactly?" Mallow asked, resting her elbows against the wooden table. "You said something about the Trials?"

"Yeah! Today I'm thinking of challenging the first Trial in my Island Challenge, but I'm not sure how I actually take the challenge. I guess there's a Trial Captain I have to talk to, but I don't know them, so I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Yep, I can! Are you planning on taking the Trial in Verdant Cavern? The cave through the two pillars?" Mallow asked.

"That's the one!"

"Ok. The Trial Captain is a man called Ilima. To start an Island Challenge, all you have to do is go to the location, and then talk to the captain – or in the case of a trial that has no Captain, talk to the Kahuna. The only slight issue you might have is that you can't always find them. Usually, though, Ilima goes to the trial sight at around mid-day. He teaches a class at the Pokémon School in the mornings and then spends the rest of the day taking care of his personal duties and the duties as a Trial Captain. The jobs the Trial Captains can do part-time is something that got me thinking about being one, in all honesty," Mallow explained, flexing and gripping her hands over her knees.

"There's a lot more to it than just taking care of the Island Challenge, then?" Ask asked, intrigued.

"Yes!" Mallow spritely continued, "Ilima volunteers at the Pokémon School, another Trial Captain works at an electricity plant that distributes power to all of Alola. For me… The job I'd want to do is cooking food for any hurt and stray Pokémon, as well as festivals and celebrations, that sort of thing. As well as this café, of course."

"You've got all of this planned out then, haven't you?" Mallow nodded. "It's amazing that you've thought it all through! I hope everything goes well!" Ash said, grinning, that same expression he delivered before every tough battle, after every encouraging pep-talk he gave to his companions, most of which no longer held any significance, the same grin he gave every time he won. His signature smile.

"Thank you, Ash! I'll make sure to try my hardest at it! I hope you'll reach your goal as a trainer too, whatever it is!" Mallow countered, ebulliently.

"Thanks! In that case, I'd better get to the trial right away! Thank you for the information, Mallow! I'll see you later!" Ash said, running out the door he'd burst through, waving behind him.

Pikachu was stood on the table. He glanced at Mallow. "Pika…chu," he said, then followed Ash.

_He's always overly hasty like this._

* * *

The sun touched the apex of the sky as the hidden Pikipek chimed like a grandfather clock. Ash was at the entrance to Verdant Cavern, as Mallow dubbed it, at midday. He stood aside of the main path, so not to obstruct anyone passing through, stretching his legs and arms, loosening himself ready for the unknown challenge awaiting beyond the cave's black wall; all light seemed blocked out at the threshold. People strolled in and out of the Poké-Center, greeting him with smiles, evidently aware of what he was about to attempt. Something encouraging beamed in their eyes, making Ash feel confident.

It was a cooler day, the breeze and the height of the cliff making it so, and Ash enjoyed the quiet peace around him. The waves sloshed against the mountain below, they didn't violently crash, and the birds chirped between the rustling branches, an odd but pleasing blend of sound. It was a perfect day for a trial.

Ilima arrived five minutes after Ash himself, a slender, handsome young adult with stylish, side-swept, light-rose-pink hair tied with an amulet similar to Ash's. A pair of perfect blue eyes happily greeted Ash, shining with charisma against his darker skin shade, almost like a deep suntan but not. His attire depicted wealth – clean white trousers and an undershirt, and a vest patterned with brown diamonds – but he wasn't stereotypically pretentious, but cool, something Ash knew the moment he announced himself.

"Alola! Might you be a new challenger to my Trial? Kahuna Hala did tell me there would be a few new ones soon," Ilima said in a fitting calm, silvery voice.

"Oh, uhh, yes. Yeah, I'm a challenger!" Ash stuttered, standing up straight, placing out his hand to shake Ilima's. "My name is Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu," Ash said automatically.

"Nice to meet you both," Ilima said, smiling widely. He fixed his hands to his waist. "So Ash, have you been a trainer for long?"

"Yeah, I'm in my seventh year now," Ash said.

"Wow, excellent! In that case, you should be familiar with battling." Ilima coughed, then straightened out his vest. "Firstly, greetings, Ash! My name is Ilima, and I am the Trial Captain of Verdant Cavern. My speciality is Normal-Type Pokémon. Here on Melemele, as you may have noticed due to your experience, we have devoted the island to simplicity, to give the beginners a chance. However, inside this cave is where that is changed. The trail is physically demanding, and you will have to be well versed in battling to succeed. You will have to be innovative, creative, determined. Are you prepared for that?" Ilima asked, a smirk tweaking the corner of his lips.

"Definitely! There's no challenge we'll back down from!"

"Amazing, Ash!" Ilima announced. "If you are ready, my challenge begins mere steps from here in Verdant Cavern! Note that the Pokémon living within Verdant Cavern are quite fierce. Through attempting the trials during the island challenge, one can exceed his or her limits – that is what the Alolan people believe! Once again, are you ready?" Ilima said.

Ash took a deep breath, clenched and unclenched his fists, mentally preparing himself. He nodded. As Ilima stepped back where the path curved towards the cave, Ash heard his name.

Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Lana, and Lillie, with Hau trailing, all ran towards him from around the bend. "We made it!" Hau shouted, reaching his arms triumphantly high.

"Oh? Alola, everyone! Are you all here to watch the trial?" Ilima calmly asked, familiarly.

"If you don't mind, Ilima! I'd like to see how Ash does," Kiawe respectfully replied.

"Not at all! Verdant Cavern is said to be a sacred place to Tapu Koko, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind you watching. Come with me, we'll wait at the end!" Ilima said.

As the group followed Ilima through, they each voiced to Ash a quote of encouragement. Lillie and Lana quietly wished him luck, and Kiawe simply announced he was curious as to Ash's capabilities, and Ash more than wanted to demonstrate what he could do. They disappeared into the cave, and Ash followed them in a moment after.

Through the shade of the hollowed mountain, a vast cave expanded that beautifully befit its name: Verdant Cavern. Moss that seemed luminous blanketed the walls and floor and some huge boulders that diverted the pathway's winding routes up and down; pear shaded ferns protruded from cracks and chips in the walls, growing where the wall and floor met; and tiny clumps of grassy weeds barely a centimetre tall clustered chaotically on the ground throughout. Cut into the rock above, dimly illuminating what would've been placid darkness into a twilight, holes as wide as the entrance – rimmed with smooth vines – let in the sun's glow, and white-ish flecks scintillated within the rays.

The path inwards separated at the edge of a gaping drop, dark enough to the eye that only imagination could determine the extremity of its depths. To the left, the path stopped at a scalable wall with a slope atop it, and at the end of the slope, it repeated as if two steps for giant Pokémon. To the right, the path led down below one of the holes of light, beneath which a moss rock luminesced. Ramps and stone bridges connected both sides of the gorge, and in the distance, canopied by more leaves, was the bright exit to outside. From where Ash was standing, it appeared like a naturally-generated jungle-gym-course.

Ilima stood at the start. "Ok, Ash. The aim of my trial is very simple. All you have to do is get through the exit way back in the cave and retrieve a Z-Crystal from the pedestal on the other side. The only catch is… Yungoos and Gumshoos live in this cavern, and they are here to prevent you from getting to the end! Defeat them along the way, and then all you've got left is the Totem Pokémon, which I shall leave unnamed for a little bit of mystery! Do you understand?" Ilima chipperly asked.

"Yeah, thanks!" Ash replied. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, standing poised, and Ash let out Rockruff, who stared at the course, unrelenting. Both looked determined.

"Alrighty! Your friends and I shall be at the exit to watch the Totem Pokémon battle, so good luck! Begin as soon as I leave the cave," Ilima explained, flashing Ash a wave; something on Ilima's glove glistened as he did. Ash nodded as thanks and watched Ilima retreat from the cave, swallowed by the daylight.

Ash turned around, grinning expectantly, and was immediately stunned into action: a sneaky Yungoos snaked elusively towards Rockruff, its jaw glowing with Bite.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called. A second later, a spark of lightning zipped past his head, blowing his jacket and hat askew. Thunderbolt hit the Yungoos directly. It skidded on the ground, its body smoking, and retreated, scampering quickly into a small hole in a boulder Ash hadn't noticed before. He deduced that he should keep an eye out for them: they seemed to be the Yungoos' hide-aways.

Ignoring that hole, for now, Ash followed the left path to the wall hot-footed, desiring a challenge rather than looping around to the right. He grasped for a protruding rock that looked stable enough, and peered upwards for a higher handgrip, spotting three Yungoos' beady, mischievous eyes leering over the top of the wall. Ash stepped confidently on a piece of rock and pushed himself up. He re-adjusted his lowest hand to a higher grip, and pushed off with his other foot, easily climbing a foot or two. Without looking away, his hands and feet relentlessly pushing and grabbing safe chunks of rock, feeling the roughness digging into his palms, re-adjusting now and again when the route was crumbling, Ash called to Pikachu and Rockruff. "Pikachu, Quick Attack up the wall, and Rockruff jump and use Tackle for extra force to propel yourself upwards!"

They did as said; Pikachu dashed at the wall, balanced his small paws on two protruding rocks, and jumped up to another set, and another. He zigzagged up past Ash, across the wall, back and forth, then bounded over the top, clattering into a Yungoos' head. Simultaneously, Rockruff crouched as he'd practised for Bite. Using Tackle before jumping catapulted Rockruff over the wall and into a second Yungoos.

The third Yungoos didn't flee as its companions scuffled with Ash's Pokémon; it swiped Sand Attack down at Ash just as he looked up to re-position his hand, timing it perfectly. The sand dusted Ash's face, forcing him to snap his eyes shut, destabilising his balance. His left hand slipped, causing his left leg to buckle too. He fell backwards, but grabbed madly for the hold again, pulling himself flat against the wall with a heavy inhale when his hand caught it. He released the breath, wiped the sand from his face, and climbed the last few holds up and over the top, where the third Yungoos lay, fainted, sparking with the trace of an Electric-type move.

"Thanks!" Ash called, gesturing a thumbs-up, already running forwards: his two Pokémon followed at his heels.

Ash glanced down the path that conjoined his to the other route around the moss rock – he saw another Yungoos den at the bottom. Ash reflexively leaned backwards just in time for a Yungoos to soar through the air using Tackle, which struck an unexpectant Rockruff on his other side. Rockruff rolled, then ducked as the Yungoos used Bite. "Rockruff, Sand Attack then Thunder Fang!" Ash called and trustingly looked back at the path whereon two Yungoos darted at Pikachu. He didn't need to look at Rockruff, only hear Yungoos yelp as the Thunder Fang connected with, Ash assumed, quite a lot of ferocity. "Pikachu, Quick Attack off one onto the other!"

A glowing white trail line followed Pikachu. He darted into one Yungoos with his paws and jumped off and at the second with a headbutt, knocking them both to the edges of the ramp as easily as pins; they dangled perilously towards the drop-off. Pikachu used Ash's mind. Jumping from the head strike, he dropped onto the Yungoos' back using Quick Attack, knocking it unconscious, then leapt easily at the other, who prepared Bite. "Iron Tail!" Pikachu enacted the move before Ash finished. He steeled himself briefly, then trashed in a wide circle, his tail swinging like a propeller blade. Yungoos clattered back down the ramp, hitting the wall with cracking force.

"Nice work!" Ash called, slapping Pikachu's tail like a high-five.

Ash continued, running through the cave, focusing only on the task, finding with ease that his mind didn't wander. Pikachu and Rockruff fought off two more Yungoos, one each, and they stopped at another junction. This time Ash took a moment to consider. He had two routes; climb another wall that stopped right at the exit, or tight-rope across a wooden plank hovering over the gorge? Ash recklessly chose the latter this time, the adrenaline in him favouring the challenge. He was enjoying himself too much to end it so soon.

As balanced as a Hitmontop resting on its spike, Ash stepped out onto the wobbling wood, one foot at a time. It was shaky, but Ash was confident. He slid his feet forwards, one at a time, instead of stepping, constantly grounded on the plank. He'd walked over more perilous rocks and pathways throughout his travels, and a simple wooden plank hadn't been life-threatening when he'd rescued Lillie and Nebby. Either way, guessing the Trials had to have been safe-proofed, a deep lake of some kind – shimmering, Ash cheerfully fantasised, surrounded by colourful plants and fluorescent underwater weeds – had to rest at the bottom to catch anybody that might fall. Or a net. Ash stepped onto the other side without realising it.

Three more Yungoos met them there; Ash saw two more dens. One hit Pikachu with Tackle, another barely missed with Bite, spinning so fast to regroup its tail slapped Pikachu's face.

"Pika!" he called, frustrated.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack! In the aftermath, use Tackle, Rockruff!" Pikachu's successive Quick Attack knocked all three Yungoos off their feet and into each other. They scrambled for separation, but not before Rockruff charged in with Tackle, hitting all three at once. They expertly bounced back off the wall, two clattering into Rockruff with Tackle, the third with Bite. "Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Pikachu's voice and static filled the cave, and the three Yungoos fainted.

Ash checked on Rockruff, ruffling his head, who yelped, announcing he was fit to continue. After confirming it, the trio ran up another ramp to a tiny, semi-circled hole leading through a wall. Ash dropped to his knees, looked through to a tight corridor on the other side, then lay on his front. Using his forearms, Ash stretched his right arm out, pushed on the floor and moved forwards, copying with his left. Like a crawling soldier in a trench, he scurried through the hole and out the other side, where another Yungoos faced him. Yungoos cut across Ash using Tackle, forcing him to jump back into the wall. He puffed out all his breath at the impact. Ash dodged another Tackle and saw Pikachu exit the tunnel. He quickly defeated the Yungoos with Thunderbolt, coupled with Thunder Fang when Rockruff slid through.

"Pikachu!"

"Yeah, it's a dead-end," Ash said, his breathing turned into deep, exerted pants. Ash, looking left and right, spotted a ramp to the exit at the bottom of a slightly steep wall from where they'd come. Ash sighed. He'd frantically enjoyed the battling and skilful manoeuvring so thoroughly that he'd missed the obvious route. "Alright, let's jump down here and get to the clearing!" Ash said.

Stepping back slightly with his left foot, Ash jumped over the edge, landing flat on both feet at the bottom, a slight tremble jolting his feet and knees. Pikachu and Rockruff landed with cat-like prowess, and followed Ash up the ramp, into the view of the light.

"That wasn't so hard," Ash said, stretching and rubbing his arms that felt fine despite the activity, preparing himself for the battle that awaited through the gap. He knew what the Totem Pokémon was now. Gumshoos. Ilima had stated both Yungoos and Gumshoos made their homes in the cavern, but he'd only seen the former. "You guys ready?" Ask asked, clenching his fist. Hearing their confident cries, Ash stepped into the clearing.

Large walls encircled the deep circular glade he wandered into. Grassy pathways circled up and around as ledges on the walls, whereon Ash's new friends sat or stood, watching like the spectators in a league, anticipation written into their expressions. The raised paths isolated an open, dusty-earth gap in the centre, and, sat directly in front of him, was a pedestal. Alolan symbols were carved into the cylindrical body, two triangles protruding like those on the body of a rocket. In the centre of the pedestal, gleaming because of the sun that stared directly into the hole from its peak position, sat a Z-Crystal.

All Ash had to do was retrieve it. Ash stepped forward, glancing left and right for the Totem Pokémon he knew was coming. He felt Pikachu tense on his shoulder, and Rockruff at his ankle, and then something else, like the feeling of being followed, of a piercing gaze cutting through him, but he couldn't see where from. He walked right into the centre of the opening, and then it came: the Totem Pokémon.

It roared, and Ash followed the voice, turning in a circle. There, perched upon another balcony hanging over the cave, was, as Ash had worked out, a Pokémon that could only be Gumshoos. It had a fierce face, the same brown and yellow fur as its pre-form, a hairier version of Yungoos. Gumshoos was undoubtedly Yungoos' evolution. But Ash was rendered hesitant by shock; it was huge. While uncomparable to the giants from the Giant Pokémon Island, it was maybe four or five times the size of a Yungoos, probably twice or thrice that of a normal Gumshoos. Significantly taller than himself. It jumped, flipped, eclipsing the sun with its tucked frame, and landed, causing a tremor.

Ash tensed, analysing his opponent. Gumshoos was large with stubby limbs. It wouldn't be too fast. Pikachu had an advantage. Its teeth and claws were razors: its hits would do damage. Dodging would be essential. Ash quickly formulated a plan in his head, taking in his surroundings, deciding what he could use and what he couldn't. He was ready.

Opening his mouth to instigate the fight, Ash heard the clicking of claws to his right. Two Yungoos scuttled out of another of the dens Ash had missed. If Pikachu was fighting Gumshoos, Ash would have to trust Rockruff with the interloping Yungoos.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt to stun Gumshoos!" Ash called, keeping his eye on the approaching Yungoos. He heard Pikachu move behind him. "Rockruff, use Sand Attack to blind them!" Ash announced, and Rockruff immediately scraped its paws against the ground, kicking up dust at the Yungoos. They jumped back, catching the backdraft with the wind. "Dart through the dust and use Tackle consecutively!"

Ash then spun around to Pikachu, just in time for Gumshoos to charge. Its sharp teeth grew quickly, extending larger than they already were as it ran rather lethargically forwards. It was either using Super or Hyper Fang.

"Wait it out until it comes close… Iron Tail!" Ash directed, judging the distance with eyes of a Braviary. Pikachu slapped Gumshoos' extended fangs, knocking its face sideways, but its body stayed rigid, and it headbutted Pikachu. "Duck out!" Ash called, and Pikachu retreated, just as Gumshoos' eyes sharpened, and Ash saw Pikachu's fur stand up. Leer. He'd have to avoid the attacks even more now.

"Thunderbolt!" Pikachu charged the attack, launching it straight at Gumshoos' head. It opened its gaping mouth, all of its teeth whitening this time, and bit down, blocking the attack completely. Its body faintly flashed yellow. "It's powerful… Alright, Pikachu! Run around it to confuse it!" Playing to its strengths, Pikachu zipped to Gumshoos' feet, then dashed left in a flaunt of agility, turned and ran around its back, once, twice. Gumshoos swivelled, but Pikachu was already gone, materialising behind, a blur of movement. "Thunderbolt!"

"Pika…chu!" The spider-webbing streaks of yellow electricity hit Gumshoos behind the head, sending sparks down the rest of its body. But it didn't paralyse it. Pikachu stopped running, and Gumshoos turned and lurched, hitting Pikachu with its two large fangs, as if unfazed by the streaks of yellow crackling across its body. Ash quickly saw why. Some sort of aura coated its fur, tinting it yellow, again.

_It must be its ability, _Ash thought.

Pikachu flipped in the air and skidded on its paws. "Pikachu, get in there! Mimic Close Combat with Iron Tail!" Ash directed, suddenly becoming aware of the scuffling sounds behind him. "Rockruff, charge Thunder Fang!" Ash called over his shoulder. The move was charged and waiting when Ash turned properly, when Rockruff was mid-dodge, skidding low under a flying Yungoos. "Bite the tail of the one on the floor!" Ash called next, and Rockruff pivoted quickly, clenching its electrified jaw on the Yungoos' tail. It yelped, and its partner jumped in again, flying with Tackle.

"Swing it around and hit the other Yungoos back! Then let go and follow up with Tackle! Pikachu! Retreat, then leap off the wall to get above Gumshoos!" Ash saw Rockruff slap the two Yungoos together, and returned to watch Pikachu, who was mid-air when he saw him. "Iron Tail down onto its head and use the force to stay airborne!"

Pikachu, his tail steeling, colouring silver again, drove it down into Gumshoos' head, bouncing back off into the air, where he gyrated already, even before Ash called, "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu unleashed the savage blast onto Gumshoos' back, then landed cooly on his paws, his red pouches sparking a moment longer. Gumshoos fell to its knee.

A surge of surprise hit Ash when Gumshoos stood and swung its tail into Pikachu, batting him aggressively. Subsequently, it charged with Bite, clamping tightly onto Pikachu's tail as he jumped to evade the lunge, stopping him from moving.

_It must be a Special Defence boosting ability… _Ash thought, carefully eyeing Pikachu's trapped tail, peeking over his shoulder at Rockruff. One Yungoos was down, so there was only one left. One and the Totem.

Rapidly, the Gumshoos snapped its mouth open and closed again, then again, catching Pikachu's tail each time he attempted to wriggle free. Pikachu fought hard, twisting and pulling his tail, almost loosening it from the sharpened, boulder teeth. Ash suddenly got an idea. "Hold out, Pikachu!" He spun around to Rockruff, "Use Bite and grab on to Yungoos, just like Gumshoos!"

Rockruff jumped over Yungoos, pawing its head into the earth, then clamped his teeth like a vice onto his tail. "Thunder Fang!" Ash called, watching only for a moment as the electricity flared, then turned to Pikachu again, "Channel Thunderbolt into your tail!" Meshed between Gumshoos' jaw, Pikachu lit his tail, which exploded upon generation. Smoke streamed through the gaps in Gumshoos' teeth, bursting into a grey plume when his jaw opened, releasing Pikachu.

"Rockruff, Tackle!" Unleashing a rumbling bark, Rockruff hit Yungoos square with Tackle, knocking it unconscious. Ash grinned, looking at Pikachu. "Pikachu, bounce off the wall with Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu's tiny body flared with violently crackling lightning towering almost as tall as Gumshoos itself. Pikachu bolted at the wall, flipping mid-way, then sprang back off it effortlessly, rocketing straight into Gumshoos' head so forcefully its body became horizontal, hovering momentarily, before slamming into the ground, creating an earthquake. Volt Tackle faded, and Pikachu flipped once, landing easily on his paws, his body covered in small tatters and bruises.

Gumshoos lay unconscious. Ash won.

Ash considered Gumshoos' steps thunderous, so when he heard a stampede-level clatter of feet, he feared that the overly formidable Gumshoos wasn't the Totem Pokémon, that another, larger Pokémon was coming. But it was only Kiawe, who stopped in front of Ash, slapping a firm hand onto his shoulder.

"That was an incredible battle, Ash! I was moved to almost tears! Such excellent skills and creativity! It makes my heart fire up! I want to battle you next!" Kiawe announced, nothing in his eye telling Ash he was joking.

"Now, now, Kiawe. Allow Ash to retrieve the Z-Crystal before you bombard him too heavily," Ilima said, pulling Kiawe aside and gesturing to the Z-Crystal.

Ash walked to it proudly, as if walking down a red carpet, Pikachu and Rockruff marching by his sides. He grabbed the Z-Crystal, which disappeared in his fist, and then the cheering reached his ears, breaking past the overpowering adrenaline that had caged his mind and senses until that moment. He looked and saw Lillie, Mallow, Sophocles, and Lana clapping, walking forwards, shouting congratulations, complimenting his and his Pokémon's collective abilities. Kiawe rushed in, again, returning to his godly praise which reminded Ash, suddenly, of Clemont's previous devotion.

But he didn't dwell on it, on the sadness.

A fountain of pride, the same thing he'd felt after every previous gym battle, flushed the excitement and aches out of Ash's body. He was so pleased he felt weightless. Maybe it was relief that he hadn't lost his skills after being degraded, but nothing could dampen his feelings at that moment.

"I, myself, am a big fan of Electric-Type Pokémon, so seeing Pikachu single-handedly defeat such a towering Gumshoos is incredible!" Sophocles commented.

"I agree! A Pikachu's base stats aren't usually overly high, but your Pikachu seems rather strong for a Pikachu, Ash," Lillie added, and Ash nodded with a smile, remembering how that was Team Rocket's motive to chase him down. Those days felt like years ago.

Fast dull taps suddenly came from the cave mouth while Ilima tended to Gumshoos and the Yungoos, from which a man in a palm tree shirt ran through, panting, interrupting the celebrations. Ash hadn't even got a word in yet. "Ilima! We've… got trouble… down in Hau'oli!"

Ilima returned Ash's valiant opponents. He ran off beside the man, asking questions, and Ash followed Ilima, keen to help, his new friends following him. But not even the threat of trouble clouded his joy.


	13. Chapter 12: Found

Chapter 12:

Found

"It's been roughly a week, Meowth, stop complaining!" Jessie berated across the kitchen in the vendor van that had become their workplace over the past week or so.

Jessie hadn't counted the days herself; she lived every twenty-four hours of freedom with rapture, delighted at her ability to pass and even greet Officer Jenny without being hunted. She sunbathed on the beach in their off time, reclined with regal glamour, reading magazines through her black paned sunglasses. She wasn't oblivious to the stares from the passing men or their tensing as they strut across the sand, gambling their chance for some shared interest. But Jessie never returned their looks. Some notion of their attraction tickled her, though, an indulgence she'd rarely experienced having lived as a criminal for so long, a foreign, forgotten but human pleasure.

Jessie loved her new freedom. James, however, appeared to appreciate the freedom more than Jessie did. He was constantly upbeat and grinning, bouncing on his toes instead of walking, his behaviour erratic. He'd compiled a long list after their first morning-shift – which he constantly kept possession of – detailing activities he wanted to partake in: swimming with the Mantine and Mantyke, scuba diving with the luring promise of glimpsing Kyogre, hang gliding in a Braviary's territory. She barely saw him during her bronzing, flaunting hours on the beach, which she appreciated – his presence repelled the relaxation and the stares. She didn't often see Meowth either, who accompanied James on all ventures despite his initial desire for rest and relaxation.

"_I love the beach as much as the next Pokémon, but sand gets in my paws," _he'd said, following James – who was clad like a peppy tourist in a shirt and shorts and sandals – up the boardwalk to whatever activity he had planned. James and Meowth were her partners, no longer in crime, but the rare alone time was a virtue.

"But we're better than this, damn it!" Meowth shouted. He ripped his bear hat from his head and hurled it at the grainy floor, stamping his three-toed foot repeatedly. "We're _much _better than this! As much as I hate to say it, I miss the action we got when fighting Ash–"

"Don't…" James intervened. He dropped his head. Lacking the conviction to continue his point, James silenced. He retreated to lifting the baked doughnuts, lathering on the toppings, and dropping them into bags, a manoeuvre Jessie had unknowingly committed to muscle memory. She was on the counter that day, and she went back to her job too, even though their customer base wasn't bustling.

Ash remained the trio's Critical Hit, the one thing that hurt them the most. Jessie conceded secretly to herself that she missed Ash and his enviable courage and skill, his once-irksome-turned-admirable devotion to loving and helping Pokémon. Most importantly, his presence, his simply being there, tethering her to something meaningful. A reason. He'd always been there.

Their ragtag team – denoted as Team Rocket's dregs – had always been assigned to the impossible task of kidnapping Pikachu. Jessie wondered, now, why Giovanni constantly chose them despite their countless failed endeavours. The idea that he trusted them to do so seemed absurd. The idea that it was a pointless task to keep them occupied seemed more reasonable. James, in a tactless outburst one evening, shared his opinions concerning Ash to Jessie, views that were identical to her own. Only, the sophistication of the language James used suggested a deeper feeling, that he was hurting more. It was as if he became Brock for that moment.

The trio didn't talk amongst themselves for the rest of their shift after Meowth's blunder. Jessie dully hollered out from the front window, Meowth handed her the doughnuts that James had automatically made and wrapped. They were a machine; they acted without a consciousness, guided only by the jotted order slips that acted as their ignition in place of a button.

James spoke when they exited the van's steamy, sweaty interior into a different kind of warmth, and when they'd changed out of their uniforms and into their normal clothes. It was about an hour or two after mid-day, the perfect time to peacefully relax on the beach before the oglers arrived. That's when Jessie liked it most, no matter the pleasure she felt when all the attention on her.

"We'll drop our things off with you at the beach, Jessie, and then Meowth and I are heading off to try some Mantine Surfing. I can't wait!" James said, his voice reclaiming its buzz, his eyes not.

"Hmm? Yeah, have fun," Jessie replied indifferently. James grumbled, and Meowth just sighed. They walked in silence for a minute, and Jessie could feel them thinking.

"Why don't you join us?" James asked before she could question him.

"Join you?" Jessie loudly asked.

"Sure. We're a team, aren't we? We should act like one, do things together. We may not be involved with Team Rocket anymore, but I still think we should stay together, in some way, as often as we can," James said, almost timidly, the way he always spoke whenever Jessie as their ill-tempered leader.

Jessie recovered from her sudden daze and gave James a quizzical stare. She wanted to sunbathe again – or feel the fleeting flutter of her heart after connecting eyes with a handsome ogler – but the idea of sticking together seemed important. Maintaining a fragment of her past was more important. She fiercely grinned.

"Then prepare yourselves, boys! I'm gonna out-do you in whatever challenge you've got set up! I won't lose to _you _two, of all people! Watch me ride that Mantine all the way back to Kalos!" she bellowed, starting a jog towards the steps onto the beach. James and Meowth, grinning, followed behind her swinging purple hair as she strode on. They were behind her, but they weren't in her shadow.

They ran around the side of a building, turning left towards the lifeguard shack perched opposite the fine-sanded expanse of inviting beach. When they rounded the shack, they stopped. The beach's beauty was impaired by smoke like a plume of tar intertwined with reeds of yellow electricity rising into the air on the other side of the beach, in the market area of the city. The people on the beach stared at the cloud, muttering.

To Jessie, the black cloud looked as if it ascended from an inferno, a blaze, or a well-placed Thunderbolt, and for a moment, the sight looked so familiar to Jessie she could almost envisage what was at the centre. Them. Team Rocket. Pikachu. Ash. The scene of their daily defeat. It was like the smoke of Pikachu's move finishing them off. Her heart knew it couldn't be true. Ash was gone.

_But what if? _Jessie defiantly thought, suddenly needing to know what was occurring at the base of the cloud.

Jessie ran, ignoring the impossibility of the idea, grabbing for the hope that had been lost to her, to all three of them. Running towards her wish to reclaim a simpler time without tragedy. James and Meowth called her. They were weak sounds, so distant even though they ran within the leash of her hair. Her thoughts of sunbathing and occupying her stagnant life on fleeting, transparent schoolgirl attractions disappeared; the fun of Mantine Surfing and re-tying the slowly fraying bonds with her team seemed pointless. She needed to know. She desperately needed to know.

But her rash sprint was childish. Her pounding chest died once again when she reached the scene. Four people dressed identically in black vest tops, all with varying coloured hair, stood slouched in opposition to Officer Jenny and her Manectric, taunting and jeering, swaggering on their toes. A Raticate fronted the gang, facing Officer Jenny, and Jessie was bewildered. It had black fur, a larger body and fatter cheeks, and squinting red eyes that looked evil. What further surprised her was its size: it was multiple times taller and bulkier than a normal Raticate. Jessie had never seen anything like it. But the surprise morphed into disappointed anger, an anger that didn't make sense to her. She had hoped for no reason and was angry for no reason.

"Is that Raticate hopped-up on Rare Candies or something?!" Meowth exclaimed, "It's huge!"

"Is it a Shiny?!" James, partly curious, asked. Jessie saw his hand twitching for his back pocket, his replacement for a Pokédex, his digital encyclopedia.

"Manectric, Discharge!" Officer Jenny commanded, and her trusty partner bravely bounded forwards.

"Heh, heh, Hyper Beam, yo!"

A quick flash and Raticate's Hyper Beam overpowered Manectric's Discharge, striking Manectric hard in the head. It slid back on its side, defeated.

"Stop resisting! Hand over the items you stole from this lady's stall immediately!" Officer Jenny called as she returned the Manectric and sent out a Growlithe.

"No way, yo! We gotta survive too, ya know! We ain't dying for no reason! We gotta do this to live!" one of the female gang members replied, and that irked Jessie. She detailed exactly what her life had been only a few weeks before: striving to survive off law-breaking and villainy. Suddenly, she didn't want to think about how she'd previously been.

Jessie reached into her pocket and retrieved a Pokéball she'd reclaimed from their locker when she left the Team Rocket's headquarters. "Yanmega, come on out!" she called. The big ogre darner emerged from her Pokéball, zipping quickly into the air, her silver wings buzzing louder than a jet engine.

One of the males, young, skinny, and lanky, noticed Yanmega first. "Who're you, lady?" the youngster asked, his expression contorting forcefully, with the apparent aim to be menacing. He was too youthful to look menacing.

"Hmm!" Jessie smirked. She sashayed forwards a few steps, slapping her hands on her hips, which she jutted outwards, adopting her rehearsed pose. "Prepare for trouble–"

"Not gonna happen, Jessie!" Meowth intervened, dashing nonetheless to her side, accompanied by James and his Carnivine gnawing on his hair.

"What're you doing, Jessie?" James asked warily, looking between the large Raticate and his female compadre, thoughtlessly dislodging his Pokémon.

"What does it look like?" Jessie snapped, "Putting the do-badders in their place!"

"Well, ain't that ironic!" Meowth said with snark.

"Whatever. They pissed me off! Yanmega, Silver Wind!" Jessie said.

"Eh?! _We _annoyed _you_?!" one of the male gang members said, shrieking as Yanmega slapped her wings even faster against the air, generating a gust of visible silver threads of wind, twinkling as if infused with tiny gems. Silver Wind's thin silver tornadoes pounded into Raticate. Raticate wailed but its mountainous body didn't move. "Why're ya helping the feds?! Raticate, Crunch!"

"I guess we're fighting now!" Meowth said and grunted, brandishing two paws that grew long white nails. Meowth ran the collision course towards Raticate, a rain of Bullet Seed from James' Carnivine backing him like an army's fleet of arrows.

"Yanmega, Steel Wing!" With a third Pokémon joining the fray, Team Rocket was a champion triple-battle team, coordinating their moves perfectly in time to stop Raticate's powerful advance. Bullet Seed relentlessly pelted Raticate, its huge body preventing any from missing. Meowth charged next, swiping at its feet, right then left, and Yanmega finished the assault, slamming into Raticate's head with Steel Wing, toppling it and stopping its Crunch.

Jessie was astonished that their coordination connected so well. She felt as if she knew what her partners would do and when they would do it. They hadn't had a battle since the news of Ash's fate, and now Jessie realised he'd done much more for them than she'd considered. Essentially, as he'd improved as a trainer, they'd had to in the hopes of kidnapping Pikachu. He'd trained them, and together, they looked to be of league-challenger standard. Ash seemed more amazing by the moment.

"I'm impressed, boys!" Jessie called.

"Hah, I always have been better at battling than you, Jessie," James said with pride in his eye.

"Oh yeah? Yanmega! Steel Wing again!" Jessie recklessly said while glaring at James, not watching her opponent, allowing her competitive emotions to bury her rationality.

"Heh! Raticate, Hyper Fang!" the second girl called, overenthusiastic with her arm-waving.

Jessie's recklessness proved a hazard. When she flipped back to the battle, Raticate's enlarged white fangs clamped onto Yanmega, a yellowish aura surrounding it. Even from where she stood the hit looked critical. A moment later, when Raticate released Yanmega, she darted back on adrenaline, collapsing to the ground when her it ran out. Jessie looked at the Raticate, bewildered. It'd almost knocked out her Yanmega in one hit.

"Jessie, attack from behind with Yanmega! We've got this!" James said, stepping forward. "Carnivine, get behind it and use Vine Whip!" Carnivine nodded its large head and slid around the Raticate, drawing its attention, forcing it to turn. "Meowth!"

"On it! Have a load of my Fury Swipes!" Meowth jeered, nipping in at its tail, slicing Raticate's back with his claws.

"Ahh! A two on one?! Whadda we do?!" one of the boys shouted, panicking. One of the girls slapped him across the face, and he promptly shut up.

"Uhh – uhh – Raticate, Hyper Beam!" the second boy called nervously.

"Jessie!" James prompted, and she knew what he meant.

"Yanmega, Sonic Boom!" Jessie called, feeling a level of excitement for battling that surpassed her other experiences.

Yanmega misdirected the Hyper Beam away from Carnivine into a cluttered stall with three quick flicks of Sonic Boon aimed right at Raticate's jaw. The Raticate grunted and looked back down to prepare another beam, but James already commanded Carnivine to slap its puffed cheeks with Vine Whip. Meowth switched to consecutively using Scratch instead of Fury Swipes for, Jessie assumed, that slight increase in power to weaken Raticate faster.

"Siver Wind!" Jessie added, and Yanmega blew another gust into Raticate. It seemed to do more damage. As if it were super effective.

_Raticate is a normal type, right? _Jessie questioned herself.

A few seconds more of the consecutive attacks seemed to infuriate the Raticate. The gang members tried to command it to use Hyper Beam, but it didn't obey. It tucked itself in and tensed, and its two front teeth extended. Raticate gyrated on one foot, spinning faster than it presumably could, aiming its teeth outwards as it spun. Consequently of assaulting at close range, Meowth and Carnivine were hit by the move. Just before the connection, Jessie once again saw that spark of yellow aura around Raticate. Carnivine and Meowth struggled to get back up. But so did Raticate. Their consecutive attacks had done damage.

"Yanmega, Silver Wind once more!" Jessie called, hoping she hadn't so far achieved consecutive Critical Hits and that the move had some increased effect on Raticate. This time, Raticate tucked and rolled out of the way just in time. It prepared Hyper Fang again and rolled towards Yanmega. "Silver Wind!" Jessie repeated. The gust hit Raticate, but it didn't falter or stop. It rolled right through the gust, undoubtedly enduring the damage, and unleashed the Hyper Fang on Yanmega, who swivelled in a corkscrew to evade it.

"Carnivine, Bullet Seed!" James commanded, jogging backwards to Jessie's side. Jessie glanced at him, his grin, then at the Bullet Seed, which pelted onto Raticate's head. When it finished, the large Pokémon slumped, and its eyes dropped into unconsciousness.

A moment of silence revealed Jessie and James', and their Pokémon's, exertion in the form of deep breaths. A second later, their heaves couldn't be heard over the applause and acclamation.

Looking up, Jessie saw the gang members throw their stolen goods from their arms and scurry away, abandoning the large Raticate, yelling. She took in the cheers and clapping next, a lightness permeating her chest, familiar but foreign too. Was it pride, without the cause being their foul deeds? It felt good for her.

She caught James' eye, but he didn't look back. His eyes were stars, his smile the curve of a crescent moon. Jessie realised something about her companion at that moment and questioned everything she thought she knew. Praise and admiration seemed to make James happy, doing good deeds, not the pointless evil endeavours he concocted that she took credit for. It made her curious; did he consider the previous years a chore? Had he wanted to change the entire time? If he did, Jessie hadn't paid attention to him at all. She didn't even know her closest friend.

Jessie couldn't complain. She didn't know herself, either, seeing as the praise, the hollering and complimenting elated her more than the prospect of being physically attractive. She didn't need to know why she loved it, either. She just enjoyed the moment, wondering where these new revelations would lead her. But for now, hearing the praise was enough.

* * *

James didn't know why Jessie intervened in that fight, and he didn't care either. He was thankful she did. In that ceremonious moment, James felt everything he'd ever wanted: respect, admiration, accomplishment, pride. It felt as if it cleansed his heart from all bad thoughts. James was more than himself.

"Thank you for that," James heard in his ear. It was Officer Jenny. "You battled excellently! You're wonderful trainers."

Jessie recoiled beside him. She didn't seem capable of responding, so James did it for her. "It's our pleasure, Officer. But please, don't forget our Pokémon."

"Naturally! They all battled excellently."

"Thank you very much," Meowth said, folding his arms. Officer Jenny stared at the talking Kantonian for a moment, before turning back to James' continuation.

"Is everything alright now? Are those criminals gone?" he asked.

Jenny nodded. "Yes. That was Team Skull, as they call themselves. Usually, they are just nuisances who vandalise and try – and fail – to steal Pokémon and items. Today, though, they somehow got a Totem Pokémon on their side. It's unusual for them to put up such a fight. I'll have to talk with Kahuna Hala."

"Well, I am glad we were able to help," James said, the truest statement he'd ever spoken.

"Thank you, once again." Jenny turned to walk away but stopped before she did. "This will sound bizarre, but you have the makings for it from what I saw, so I have to ask. Have you ever thought to join the Alolan Police Department? We are currently understaffed and could use experienced trainers such as yourselves."

James' eyes and smile flared. If he thought he had everything he wanted moments ago, that single question upturned his reality, opened a door in his mind that had for so long been bolted shut. He had an opportunity, and with the lingering worry of what he'd overseen and heard at Team Rocket's Headquarters, it was a life-changing opportunity. "Do you truly mean that?! You think we could join?!" he eagerly asked, twitching, almost grabbing for Officer Jenny's hand.

"I do. Please, think it over. I have to go and tend to the Totem Raticate but let me know what you decide." Officer Jenny nodded before walking away.

"Did you hear that?! We could join the police! Then we could quit that doughnut selling job and earn some real money, a real living!" James said enthusiastically, trying to bargain the idea to his companions.

"The police, huh? That'd be ironic!" Meowth said, chuckling to himself. "You know, though, I think it's a great idea."

"Jessie? What do you say?" James asked, hope in his eyes. She sighed, obviously unsure. "If we're in the police, we can do something about the situation we saw at the HQ."

Jessie frowned. "Why're you asking me?"

"You're a part of our team, right? We all have to agree," James said.

"Oh, alright. Only if I can still have time off to lounge on the beach! I need my destressing time from you idiots," Jessie said.

"Of course! Thank you!" James shouted, jumping forwards and pulling Jessie tight into a hug., trapping her arms at her sides. Jessie immediately became rigid. James let go a moment later, lost in his thoughts, barely seeing Jessie smile.

"Officer Jenny! Is everything alright?! I came as fast as I could!" James heard behind him, and a clatter of footsteps. It was a young man, his hair light pink, his attire charming.

"Ilima! Thank you for coming, but everything is taken care of. You see, Team Skull somehow got Totem Raticate on their side for a little while," Jenny replied, standing to shake hands with Ilima.

"Really?! Now that's unusual… I'll have to consult Hala about this," Ilima said.

"It is. I thought to do the same," Jenny said.

"On behalf of the Kahuna and Trial Captains, thank you for taking down Raticate. We will make sure he is well tended to, and everything returns to normal. Sorry for the inconvenience," Ilima said.

"Actually, these two trainers here are the ones to thank for resolving the issue. They battled Raticate and defeated him. They're the heroes today." Officer Jenny gestured Jessie and James. Jessie straightened her back, and James liked how that sounded. They were heroes.

"Is that so? Excellent, thank you! Could I ask for your names?" Ilima said.

"My name is Jessie, and this is James and Meowth," Jessie said, gesturing her companions.

"Nice to meetcha!" Meowth said. Ilima's eyes widened, and he crouched to Meowth's height.

"A talking Kantonian Meowth! Fascinating! As a Normal-Type trainer, this is incredible! My name is Ilima, nice to meet the three of you–" Ilima said, standing back up, shaking their hands.

"Ilima! Sophocles fell on our way here and took Lana out with him, so the others stopped to help them, but I'm ready to battle–" The voice abruptly stopped. "Team Rocket?!"

"Pika?!"

James whipped around and saw them stood there, eyes squinted, calculating.

Ash and Pikachu.

James' heart soared into heaven. He felt like he was above life.

Before he even thought, James ran at Ash, yelled his name, and grabbed the pair into a strong embrace. Unrivalled bliss, disbelief, and relief congregated in his heart. He was overwhelmed in the feelings so much he didn't consider how bizarre his actions would seem in Ash's mind, to Jessie even who seemed to be searching inside herself for a reaction. Having felt a plethora of painful emotions prematurely and incorrectly for however long they'd lived since the news of Ash's death – which now was apparent to be false – James was renewed with new life and vigour.

Jessie clutched onto the embrace next, tearing up, a sight which had once been considered a myth, then Meowth stepped between them too. James considered the situation then; how different their reactions were to how they would have been before believing Ash was dead. That changed him. Them. In a twisted way, only because Ash was alive, James was pleased for it to have happened. He was a different person now, and now that he found Ash alive, a coincidence more unlikely than them catching Pikachu ever was, he knew he'd never wish bad on him ever again.

"Uhh, what's happening?" Ash asked, bewilderment in his voice.

James jumped back, wiping his nose sloppily with his hand. "You're alive! Thank Arceus you're alive!"

"Yeah, umm, of course, I'm alive."

"What do you mean 'of course I'm alive'?! We thought you were dead!" Jessie contributed, folding her arms as if blaming Ash.

"What–" Ash stopped himself. "Wait… You believed I was dead?"

"Yes! It was all over the news! Didn't you know?!" James answered.

Ash shook his head. "No! So, everyone thinks I'm dead?"

"Yeah, Oak told the news you passed away. He said he saw your body after the attack…" James trailed. They'd been stupid the entire time. How could they have believed Oak's words at all?

"Oak. Again. It's him _again_!" Ash said angrily.

"Ash, do you know these trainers?" Ilima asked, a ghost suddenly materialised beside them.

"Yeah, they're… friends. Sorry, Ilima, but could I go and talk to these guys for a little bit? I'll come back and help clean up, I just need to talk about some things," Ash said.

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

"Thank you. Come on," Ash said, beginning to walk away from the market. Team Rocket followed. There was more going on than any of them realised. James knew that now, and from his desire to talk, Ash seemed to know it too. When they were far enough away from people, Ash asked them to explain. They explained all they knew.

* * *

"So, Oak lied to the news outlets saying that I died, and it was all over the TV? Everyone, including my mum, believes I'm dead? Oak _did _tell people about it… And you've stepped away from Team Rocket after you've seen something really bad?" Ash asked, sat atop a short brick wall a little way aside of the market, beside a luscious patch of grass and bushes and a red-leaved tree.

"That's about it, yes," James confirmed. "I hope we can lose all the bad blood between us. Over the years we've had our troubles, but believing you died… Well, that definitely changed something."

"Of course, especially because you went to check on my mum. I can't thank you guys enough for that, really," Ash said, softly smiling, hardly having to think about it.

"It's the least we could do," Jessie said, just like all of her contributions so far. Short, quiet. She didn't seem to be as comfortable with the situation as James was, but Ash couldn't blame her. She had been the most influenced by Team Rocket. Speaking as friends wouldn't seem natural for her yet.

"What did you see that made you want to leave Team Rocket? You said you wanted to tell me before – you know," Ash asked, nonchalantly moving his hand to ruffle Pikachu's head. "Not that I can do loads about it. Why didn't you go to Lance instead?"

Jessie parted her lips to speak. She closed them when she seemed to realise that he was right.

"He's got a point, you know," Meowth said, then nodded his head side-to-side, as if toying with the thought. "We've got bad reps in Kanto. That's why we hesitated."

James sat down on a bench opposite Ash, laughing. "Nevermind that now. It's something for another time. We've got an opportunity to do something about it ourselves, seeing as Officer Jenny offered us jobs in the police force."

"Really?!" Ash asked, "That's ironic!"

"Ain't that the truth!" Meowth agreed, grinning with his teeth.

"Well, congrats, guys! I'm glad you're trying something new rather than chasing me everywhere. For a minute, I thought you'd put a tracker on me and stalked me all the way out here." Ash grinned. He hadn't said it, but he was proud more than relieved.

"We weren't that obsessed," Jessie huffed, folding her arms defiantly.

"Sure, you weren't."

"I'll admit, we made some extreme moves. Nothing we can't rectify, right?" James said hopefully.

"That you already haven't, you mean. Seriously, checking on my mum despite her knowing our history… That – that's an incredible thing to have done. I'll say it again: thank you!" Ash said.

"Not a problem, Ash." James patted his shoulder. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing so far out here in Alola?"

"Ah, I kind of got on the plane randomly to escape Kanto… But now, I'm involved in something called the Island Challenge, which is something I'm kind of experiencing with some new friends."

"Ones that haven't betrayed you?" Jessie thoughtlessly asked.

Ash cringed but said nothing in retaliation. "That's the hope. Speaking of them, I should probably get back to my friends and help clean that mess up," Ash said, standing up, angling his arm for Pikachu to climb on.

"We'll come too, then, to give Officer Jenny our response," James said.

"Sure. We should catch up over some food or something sometime after you've settled into your lives as law-keepers, that is. That's such a strange thing to consider!" Ash said, trying to mentally imagine Team Rocket as a police force. He wondered, in amusement, how many times they'd have to arrest themselves.

"Hah, I agree!" Jessie laughed aloud.

"It'll be weird! And yes, we should. Are you staying somewhere we can come and find you?" James asked.

"Oh, yeah. I'm staying at the Poké-Center in the city, room ninety-nine," Ash said, and then he realised how oblivious they'd all been. He looked James in the eyes, who wore the same look of realisation. "You're in room one-hundred, aren't you? And I've been passing you every day, haven't I?" James nodded, and Ash couldn't stop himself laughing. They laughed the whole way back into the marketplace, waving 'see-you-soon' to one another, their relationship reformed in a positive light.

Ash left the former Team Rocket trio feeling even happier than he had after his trial. He'd never considered it before but having that trio as friends was a lot better than having them as enemies. They clicked strangely easily.

"Ash! There you are! Did you win the fight?!" Kiawe asked, observing the wreckage and the unconscious Raticate that Officer Jenny and Ilima, and some bystanders, couldn't lift even with their combined efforts. His eyes were on fire, clearly hailing Ash as the Arceus of battling.

"Nope, it was those three talking to Officer Jenny, Jessie, James, and Meowth. I was about to start tidying up the area after the incident, so you guys wanna help?" Ash asked, crouching to pick up a broken stall plaque. Kiawe's expression fell slightly.

"Of course! I love doing this type of volunteering!" Mallow said, grabbing Lillie's shoulders and skipping off to another broken stall.

"I am obliged to help out!" Kiawe strangely answered, flexing his arms before lifting a chunk of wood. Ash just shook his head. Lana and Sophocles agreed too and helped him pick up the scattered food. Ash was disappointed that the kind lady's stall was damaged; he liked getting an apple from there every morning.

It took around an hour to clean things up and wake up the Raticate, who received a stern talk from Hala when he arrived with a team of flexing Machop to help.

Ash finished fixing the canopy over the lady's stall when he spotted a Litten tiptoe to the stall and bite into an apple that had fallen to the floor. He thought to call out to it, but the kind lady from the stall tapped his shoulder as it walked away.

"Don't worry. Little Litten there comes every day for a piece of fruit, so I let him have one. He's a kind Pokémon, Litten. It always seems sad, though," she said.

"I see…" Ash said, watching the Litten walk away. He frowned, then turned at Lillie's call of help. In the distance, he could see. Jessie, James, and Meowth following Officer Jenny back into the city, towards their new lives. Ash was happier than he could say.


	14. Chapter 13: Fantasy and Reality

Chapter 13:

Fantasy and Reality

Ash's euphoria depleted by nightfall. A beautiful, ombré night sky fell upon Melemele, royal blue shading the horizon into dark navy above, accentuating the innumerous, scattered platinum stars. It was a half-moon that evening, one-half hiding, and one-half showing, a feigned personality.

Ash fantasised through the window that the air outside was chilly because those were the nights that he loved camping under, starry and cool. Nights during which he'd look up at the ever-changing sky, the cosmos, relishing the pleasant breeze's kiss on his skin if one blew, nature's lullaby filling his ears. The frequency never dulled the experience because every night the colour palette and the dot-to-dot constellations shaping patterns his imagination alone could join varied. He would always watch the sky after his full-on, challenging days, after some late-night training or eating an appetizing meal created by Brock, then Cilan, then Clemont, when he felt that feeling of intense satisfaction as his exhausted muscles mixed with his sleepiness. He adored the tranquillity ushered by nightfall, prioritised it; like the obligation of eating breakfast to fuel him for the day, stargazing calmed him for the night.

Dawn and midnight were Ash's favourite times of the day, where the moon and sun were the most beautiful. He still enjoyed dawn every morning, training early, but reminiscing on the second made Ash wish he was out there in that moment, laying in a sleeping bag by a lakeside, watched, monitored, by the galaxy's starlight eyes. He was surrounded instead by the stuffiness of body heat, compact and cosy around a mahogany table inside the Poké-Center, sat between Kiawe and Mallow, the latter's head dangling near his shoulder as she laughed. He stared out the window, thinking, hearing snippets of conversation in earshot through breaks of thought. He enjoyed their company greatly, but it wasn't the same. He didn't have his peace of mind late at night.

Ash admired his new friendships and felt shocked that after all that had happened, he'd found friends so easily. He drew people and Pokémon towards him like a Klink to an electric field, yet that magnetic personality and charisma made it hard to know which face and name would maintain their vow of friendship. Ash thought of Brock as a true example. Despite that, Ash couldn't understand why, since his reunion with Team Rocket, he couldn't settle around his new friends. A mystery feeling haunted him.

"You're obsessed, Kiawe!" Mallow giggled, bumping shoulders with Ash, jostling his mind from his reverie. Ash gave a coy smile. He'd heard everything Kiawe said and didn't know how to respond to the praise about his abilities.

"Thanks, Kiawe. I have experience. I've learned a lot of strategies for different scenarios from battling loads of different trainers. And I've been able to work out different ways to learn moves, tactics, that sort of thing," Ash said, unconsciously twisting his Z-Ring on his wrist.

"That doesn't explain how a Pikachu learned Volt Tackle without harnessing a light ball's power at birth! You're some kind of move magician!" Kiawe said, slamming his plastic cup of sitrus berry juice onto the table. A yellow droplet sloshed over the edge, splatting onto the table.

"Can't you just accept it?" Lana asked, watching Mallow sit up from nudging Ash's shoulder.

"Actually, I agree with Kiawe. I would like to know," Lillie said, raising her hand like she was a frightened schoolgirl. Ash frowned.

"Same here! A light ball's properties include a super-charged, condensed matter of electricity, so by the mother Pikachu harnessing this energy, it is passed on to the child. Because of this, their body holds too much electricity, so they have to unleash it however they can. Volt Tackle uses a tremendous amount of electricity, so to stabilise the electricity balance in their body – and by that I mean get rid of some – the Pichu uses Volt Tackle. From then on, they have access to the move. Or so the research goes. It is said that because of this, their first Volt Tackle has twice the power. How, then, does a Pikachu gain enough raw electricity in its body to have this occur?" Sophocles asked, looking intently at Ash, who felt slightly intimidated by the boy's knowledge of Pikachu considering Pikachu was his partner.

"Have you ever thought that if they simply absorb enough electricity from an outside source, they'll be able to use it?" Ash asked.

"Of course, but absorbed electricity is stored primarily in their pouches rather than their whole body as it is excess electricity."

"I don't think it's as complicated as you're suggesting. Maybe they can just learn it through chance, or different methods? Honestly, Pikachu's been stronger than your average Pikachu from the moment I got him as my starter, so maybe that's why. Could he have been born with more electricity stores in his body? It's like humans if you think about it. Why can some people do some things, and others not? Why do we all look different? Pokémon, despite being the same species, are all born different. Maybe Pikachu was born that way."

"You're referencing genetic inheritance there, right?" Kukui, who had joined them after returning from the next island over, asked.

"Uh… Yeah, I guess?" Ash replied, unsure what Kukui meant.

"Ya know, they inherit genes from their parents which determine what they're like, their characteristics? It's true. Just like humans, Pokémon's genes are half from either parent, so your Pikachu's parents could both have had high electricity content in their bodies which equates to high levels of power, therefore your Pikachu is much stronger because they passed on the genes which hold this information. It's the same with shiny Pokémon. The shiny gene is recessive, so it doesn't show up often, only if the other genes coding their fur or skin colour are also recessive. Does that make sense?" Kukui explained, folding his arms.

"I think I get it, yeah. It's the same with abilities, right?" Ash asked, thinking of Infernape's Blaze. "Hidden abilities are a rare occurrence, meaning the gene for those is recessive. And normal abilities can be more effective depending on their genes?"

"Exactly, cousin! You got it!"

"Where did you learn all this stuff?" Ash asked, feeling overwhelmed.

"We were taught it last year in school. Did you not go?" Lana bluntly asked.

"Lana!" Mallow shrieked. Her bluenette friend shrugged.

"It's ok, Mallow. She's right, I didn't. Not past the age of ten, anyways. I've been travelling since, learning on the road! That's not exactly the field I want to go into, so I didn't see the need to know when I was younger. I was kinda a hard-headed kid back then!" Ash explained, chuckling, unfazed by Lana's comment. "Now, though, I guess I could learn a few things."

"That's not uncommon in this world, Lana. Over here in Alola, people don't start adventuring until they're about fifteen and receive a starter from one of the Kahunas, despite being able to start the Island Challenge when they're eleven. Elsewhere, as in Kanto, you can get your first Pokémon at age ten. That law stands here too, but our customs rarely adhere to it. In some cases, outside Alola, people don't attend further education because they want to work with Pokémon. If those people change their minds, they often return to education.

"In Alola, we have a school system where we teach the students in a relaxed manner, a kinder environment, about Pokémon until they are thirteen. Of course, not everyone stays on the entire time since they could leave at ten if they really wanted to. Then, they have the chance to continue learning different subjects at school until they're fifteen or head out into the world. It's different in different cultures. Education then continues from age sixteen to prepare them for all types of jobs, if people want to," Kukui explained, stealing their attention with his artistic arm movements as if gesturing a diagram.

"I see…" Lana trailed, looking at the floor ashamedly.

"Don't feel bad, Lana. It's alright! I've never been the smartest kid!" Ash said in hopes of cheering her up. She offered a small smile, but nothing more.

"I left school at fifteen because I wanted to conquer the Island Challenge, and I achieved my goal! Now, all I want to do is follow in my grandfather's footsteps and become a Trial Captain, then an Island Kahuna!" Kiawe explained.

Lillie parted her lips as if preparing to speak but she hesitated, lowering her shoulders and her head to look at the floor.

"Well, I'm definitely taking over my restaurant, so I didn't need to stay in school any longer! Being taught by a specialist – my father – can give me all the qualifications I need without any real testing!" Mallow added.

"This is one of the best things about travelling: you get to meet people and Pokémon from all over the world, and even see how things are different in different cultures! It's amazing to hear all of this when comparing it to back home," Ash said.

"Oh, I completely agree! I did my share of travelling, and it was a life-changing experience, yeah! I came back and returned to school to learn how to become a true Pokémon Professor from everything I experienced!" Kukui said.

Sophocles spoke next, explaining his dedication to first becoming a Trial Captain, then an Astronaut. Lana followed, briefly detailing, in a few words, her dream of exploring the depths of the sea for a glimpse of Kyogre. Listening to them all documenting their dreams was enlightening to Ash and oddly reassuring. He began pondering ways he could aid them, how they could achieve their dreams together, cement their bonds in a way they couldn't be tampered with.

Then Ash felt it again, that nagging, the unknown sensation that made him feel distant from them. When he thought to help them, something hurt inside him. He almost knew what it was, but it was as if the key was out of reach.

"Oooh! What's the time?!" Mallow suddenly cried, using Ash to hoist herself upright – Lana watched her drop her hand onto and push off Ash's thigh.

Sophocles glanced at his plastic watch. "It's ten o'clock, almost. Why?"

"Ahhh! Nurse Joy, please can you turn the TV on?! And switch to Poké-Vision?! I can't believe I've missed most of it!"

"What?!" Ash blurted, standing so quickly his chair clattered backwards onto the wooden panel floor. His eyes were suddenly scars of the day weeks before, wide and looking mangled, and at that moment, he knew what the nagging was. It was his past repeating. He'd lived through that same conversation multiple times, everyone explaining their dreams and goals, and so many people had promised that they would live their lives together, help one another achieve those dreams. It was as if it was a foreshadowing of history repeating.

The chair hitting the wood alerted everyone like a finger click in a void, a small sound somehow turned deafening. They all looked at Ash. Claustrophobia tightened his chest.

"Poké-Vision! It's a streaming service where Pokémon trainers can create videos to share with the world! People have become extremely famous and popular from it. Haven't you heard of it? Us girls love it! Oh, and Kiawe does!" Mallow answered.

"Ah, be quiet, Mallow! I don't!" Kiawe cried, obliviously continuing their happy mannerisms.

"Uhh – yeah – yeah, I've heard of it, but I thought you couldn't get oversees channels in Alola," Ash said, panicked. He had only ever heard of few Poké-Visioners. And one of them was Serena.

"Oh, it's a separate streaming service. People all over Alola love it, so it was licensed for viewing in Alola! Ooooh, I hope our favourite Visioner has a new video out! I've heard she's been through a tough time. I hope she's ok!" Mallow said, glancing up at the screen.

The static blipped and the picture formulated. Ash stared with his mouth ajar at the familiar logo branding the channel in the corner of the screen.

"-first place for most popular Poké-Vision video of the week goes to the newly-popular, rising beauty, 'Kalos Princess' Serena Yvonne and her Braixen for their touching video regarding the loss of their friend, including a powerful message of how she and her boyfriend are trying to move past the tragedy and 'live every day to the fullest in recognition of life's fleeting nature', as are her words. Truly a touching video! Here it is now, you adoring fans!" a lady's soft voice announced.

"Ooooh, she's got a new video out!" Mallow cried, jumping from her seat. She skipped to Lillie and guided her from her seat, who also looked quite eager to watch.

Then Serena was on the screen, sashaying across a grassy canvas that Ash recognised as Pallet Town's natural backdrop, the camera positioned away from the wreckage, her lips moving, her arms gesturing. Mallow swooned, whispering gushed comments to Lillie as they watched each clip with the masterful diligence of reporters, draining each syllable for its hidden meaning, the context, the root of its scripting. Sophocles shouted and leapt forwards in front of the screen, barging Kiawe aside. Lana stepped forward too, joining Serena's trance.

Ash didn't share their apparent awe. Her soft voice was screaming at him, the background was in flames, his Pokémon littered the grass, glaring. None of it was there, but Ash still saw it, the images of what had been, what had happened. Ash succumbed to a different trance: remembering. He didn't blink or speak. He watched with sunken, dull eyes, his ajar mouth holding in every breath, his shoulders drooped.

"Wow… She's let her hair grow out again! It looks beautiful…" Lillie commented.

Sophocles jumped up and down, a childlike bounding. "_She's_ so beautiful!"

"Forget that! She's finally opened up about having a boyfriend!" Mallow said, excitedly.

Ash couldn't move.

"Isn't she amazing, Ash? She's so strong and talented! Ooooh, I wish I was her!" Mallow said, turning around.

Mallow regarded Ash with surprised eyes. Lillie swivelled next and noticed the same as Mallow. "Ash?" Lillie softly asked, taking a step forward.

Ash barely heard her. Lillie's words were whispers, far-away whispers as if he was nearly deaf or his eardrums were overloaded from a point-blank crack of thunder.

"Huh?" Ash asked, awakening from his stupor. He finally looked away from the screen, seeing, one last time, Serena, spinning as she danced, the skirt of her dress fanning outwards. "Oh – I'm – I'm fine. Just – gonna get some air."

Ash rushed out of the front of the Poké-Center, ignoring the concerned calls following him. He already felt the tears burning his eyes before he reached the battle arena around the back. He slumped over a picnic bench, a bench identical to one they'd sat at before, together, eaten at together, laughed together over Clemont's lunches. Ash let the tears fall. He accepted that he wasn't ok.

He wasn't ok.

Ash had trained and battled and made friends like any previous journey in Alola, and he'd thought he accepted the betrayal, that he could handle the memories and the thoughts, the dreams, but that was only in his head. It was make-believe. Seeing a reminder, the most hurtful reminder possible, showed him he couldn't handle facing it, the truth, seeing them again, seeing her again. Even seeing her through a monitor when she was half-way across the world had rendered him in that state. Seeing her in person would be impossible. It was different in his dreams. He only repeated what had happened. They couldn't hurt him any further in his dreams. But they could in person.

Ash suddenly didn't want to return to his new friends. They were people too. They could hurt him too. Suddenly, thrusting himself into a new life seemed only a ploy now, to shun his old one, to pretend as if he'd been living a fantasy.

Ash wasted ten minutes on his emotions. He sat up, wiped his eyes against his bare forearm. They stung, as they did when opening them after awakening from a forced unconsciousness. Being knocked out, like those times in Kalos, when Serena still cared, when Clemont was his brother and Bonnie his sister. A few more tears fell.

Pikachu padded into the outside light which flicked on with his movement, his ears drooped over his face. He wore a frown. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's leg, and Ash let his hand land on his partner's head. He didn't smile, though. He couldn't muster it.

Ash soon decided he needed to think, so he walked. Out of the Poké-Center, past the doughnut van, Ash watched the grey road under his heavy feet, his hat angled to shade his face. Every so often, a yellow streetlamp illuminated the greyscale darkness, pale and dull not orange and warm as they had been every other night. Everything seemed different under the weight of feeling dejected.

Ash didn't look up from the bland stone until he reached the beach, which was empty for the night. The couples strolling hand-in-hand on the sand, pledging pure promises of love and devotion in their other world – the world of love, the one Ash existed in after kissing Serena – had abandoned it for the night.

Ash walked down onto the sand and to the waterfront. The waves lightly trickled up the beach, then went out again, the bubbling residue froth lingering, fading away as if it hadn't existed. Ash sat at the water's edge and listened. He heard only the calming swishing of the waves and an Alolan Pokémon's chirping resonating from the faraway forests. Then he looked up, as he did on those nights out in the woods, and the tranquillity calmed him, as it had done every night out in the woods. The royal blue-navy sky now bore beautiful streaks of dim purple.

Sat there, admiring the sky, Ash's shoulders slackened, his eyes softened, his breathing slowed. His thoughts started moving. He considered everything: Oak and his friends and Pokémon betraying him, the attack that destroyed his home, his new friends, his trial win, Team Rocket. He had essentially lost everything, but now he had some of it back again. He questioned why he was sat out there on the beach, moping, when what he'd lost was back in the Poké-Center. But he knew why immediately; he was scared it would happen again.

He considered his next step. He wanted to stay in Alola. He wanted to continue the Island Challenge. He wanted to be with his new friends. That was his new plan. He'd promised to help Lillie with her phobia. He wanted to get to know Mallow, Lana, Sophocles, Kiawe, Lillie, Kukui, Hau, anyone else. Building friendships was what he loved. He knew what he wanted to do. But he couldn't forget. He knew he would never forget. And, suddenly, he didn't know whether he wanted to.

_Maybe that's what I need, _Ash thought, _to carry on despite everything, to not ignore what happened. To accept what they did as my reality._

It seemed logical. Acceptance hurt, but it was logical. For now, anyway, acceptance was good enough. Maybe he would never heal, or maybe he would. That was for another day. Now, all he had to do was accept it and not pretend it hadn't happened.

Ash thought of Serena and though it hurt terribly, he thought of Brock, Gary, Dawn, those that weren't there to betray him, finding comfort in their loyalty. Things weren't as bad as they first seemed. Ash felt bad, now, for fleeing their enjoyable night on a spur of over-emotion. What would they think? Would they judge him for it?

Ash suddenly heard a voice behind him. Turning, he saw his new friends stood in a huddle on the sand, smiling at him.

"Are you ok, Ash?" Lillie asked first, brushing her dress' frills beneath her as she sat down on the sand beside him. The rest sat in a crescent either side of them.

"We won't ask what happened," Mallow said, "we just want you to know if you're ok."

"I know we only met a little while ago, but I seriously felt what a strong guy you are through your battling, you know? So, man, whatever spooked you like that must be serious!" Hau said.

"Didn't we agree we weren't going to ask?" Kiawe said, frowning.

"Well, you can't help it if Hau's too thickheaded to listen," Lana deadpanned, smirking.

"What'd you say?!" Hau cried, leaping onto his feet, kicking up sand.

"Hey! Watch it, Hau!" Sophocles complained, brushing sand from his shorts.

"Oops, my bad!"

"Alright, stop being children, and Hau, sit back down!" Mallow mothered, gesturing to Ash. He only watched with a smile.

"You do seem ok," Lillie suddenly said. Ash simply nodded because they had come to find him, just as his friends before him had, as Brock used to do, someone loyal to him, but also as Serena did. But they were different people. They hadn't berated him, hadn't tried ruining his life. They were different.

Ash wasn't ok, but, with the help of his new friends, he knew he could be.


	15. Chapter 14: A Mother's Love

Chapter 14:

A Mother's Love

The group tarried on the beach, chatting and laughing, the sudden incident forgotten like a bottle in the sea. It didn't matter. They didn't speak about it after Lillie concluded Ash's contentment. The atmosphere was cordial once more.

Lillie – sat on the sand with her legs pulled to her right side and her hands in her lap – was pleased that Ash was grinning again and that he slowly livened. He even accepted Kiawe's passionate challenge to a battle soon, and he and Pikachu chased Mallow barefooted across the shoreline after she stole his hat, unveiling his handsome face from beneath it. Lillie didn't talk as much as the others did, nor did she become playful when the others electrified. Lillie admired instead, warm feelings of enjoyment and camaraderie blossoming inside her as she treasured the fruition of her childhood desire: spending time with people her age, a group she could call her friends.

Lillie loved watching them. She loved their company, knowing she was a member of their group, their friend, without forcing her involvement in a feigned way. She didn't have to pretend to be as excitable as they were. She could be herself around them.

They all returned to the Poké-Center at around half-eleven as fatigue hit. They talked quietly in the dimmed foyer until twelve, about plans for the next day. Mallow invited Lillie and Lana shopping, the boys were going to do some training, and then they would meet up again in the afternoon. Their plans pledged, Ash yawned wider than a Snorlax, and headed up to sleep, giving a friendly farewell. Mallow and Lana went to collect their belongings, and Kiawe, Sophocles, and Hau left to tend to Charizard for Kiawe's flight back to Akala. An unknowing smile slightly puffed Lillie's cheeks, and she swung her legs inadvertently, waiting for Mallow and Lana.

"I know we said we wouldn't ask about it, but doesn't it worry you? Ash suddenly acted so… bizarre. These past few weeks, he's been nothing but upbeat and involved. It's strange seeing him change so drastically because of something like Poké-Vision, especially after watching him battle so excellently today. I mean, he was amazing! Aren't you as worried about him as I am?" Lillie overheard Mallow say upon the duo descending the stairs into the Poké-Center's foyer.

"What do you mean, Mallow? Of course, we're worried, he's our friend," Lana replied quickly.

"Come on, Lana, you know it's a little different for me!" Mallow whined, looping her rose handbag over her shoulder.

"Different how?" Lana asked slyly.

"Oooooh, don't tease me!" Mallow responded, nudging Lana's side.

"Tease you about what?" Kiawe said, sauntering into the doorframe with a satchel draped over his padded shoulder, his Charizard saddled in the background being petted by Hau. "I think I deserve to tease you for how you've been joking about me lately."

"Just about Ash. Mallow's cr-"

Mallow's cheeks flushed, and she frantically clasped her hand over Lana's mouth. "Ignore her, please! Jeez, are you trying to kill me from embarrassment?!"

Kiawe leaned back against the doorframe, folded his arms and grinned. "Oh? Please, Lana, continue," he teased.

"Ahhh!" Mallow cried, releasing her gag on Lana, who was laughing to herself. Mallow hurriedly, tensely shuffled outside.

Lillie placed her hat atop her blonde head and followed Lana out. Lillie had suspected Mallow's attraction to Ash the moment she boasted meeting him at the festival and had noticed the rising affection she was showing him throughout the previous week. Lillie considered Mallow her best friend even if Mallow and Lana were each other's, so she knew her well, what her tells were, and the aims of her mood and action fluctuations. Her manner of addressing Ash blatantly unveiled her feelings; she acted like all the adoring boys from their school had done around Mallow in the two months Lillie spent there. Flirty, Lillie supposed, but happy described it well, in a way judgement couldn't dampen. Infatuated, maybe.

Strangely, Lillie was jealous of Mallow's feelings, not because she shared them for Ash, and not because boys never offered her their affections – all of which she was too shy to respond to and couldn't comprehend, or share – but because she had never experienced such feelings for anybody outside her family. Likely originated from her sheltered, shy childhood, Lillie longed to experience it, just once, feel as happy as Mallow displayed. She wished she could have had a normal childhood like her new friends.

"Umm, Mallow, I'm unsure whether or not you are aware, but it is kind of obvious that you act a bit differently when Ash is around," Sophocles said, surprisingly attuned to the conversation.

"What?! Really?!" Mallow cried again, her voice growing higher but more distressed.

"He's not wrong. Though, I don't think Ash has noticed. He seems really dense," Kiawe said, throwing his arms behind his head.

"Aww…" Mallow sighed. "Well… Aside from that, aren't you all worried too? Lillie?"

Lillie straightened after being addressed, aware of her friends all looking at her. It was a lot more pressuring than when she talked to Ash. "Umm – I – Yes, I would say I am worried. I-It was very sudden for him to change after being so happy. I think there must be a reason for it."

"See! I'm not the only one!"

"Yeah, there must be a reason. But what could it be? I mean, Ash hasn't talked to us at all about himself. What do we really know about him?" Hau said, creating a metronome by tapping his sandal on the stone.

"That's a good point, you know. Do you think he doesn't trust us with something?" Lana asked.

"Woah, hold on, don't talk like that!" Kiawe said loudly, frowning. "He's our friend, right? He'll tell us when he's ready. Besides, we've only known him just over a week."

"Me and Lillie have known him for two weeks," Hau interjected.

"That's not the point," Kiawe said.

"But two weeks without knowing anything is a bit strange. Surely you bond with people, become friends, by learning things about them," Sophocles said.

"While that's true–" Kiawe muttered.

"What if we find out he's, like, a serial killer?" Sophocles asked.

"Oh, come off it! Where the hell did you get that idea, man?" Hau asked.

"I don't know, I'm just suggesting! I don't know why he won't talk to us!" Sophocles replied.

"Ignoring Sophocles being unable to distinguish from games and real life, it will admit it gets me wondering. I don't mean we should judge or force anything, but who is Ash?" Kiawe asked, adopting a thinking pose.

"M-Maybe it's because nobody has asked him about himself," Lillie suddenly said, louder than she had intended. They all looked at her again, surprised this time. Lillie flinched backwards. "W-We haven't sat down and asked him anything. He's been so active we haven't had the chance. Maybe he intended to do that, maybe it's a coincidence, but if you call him your friend, you shouldn't make things up like that! W-We may not know everything about Ash, but I'm sure there are things we all don't know about each other, and you wouldn't talk about any of us like this!" Lillie said, her confidence depleting the longer they all looked at her. "I-I'm sorry. Goodnight."

Lillie kept her gaze down as she scurried down the road, embarrassed and upset. She hadn't told them much about herself either. It made her wonder if they spoke about her as they had just done with Ash. She knew they didn't, that was not who they were. What she had just berated was a moment of curiosity, and she had probably overreacted. But she worried.

Professor Kukui was not home when she arrived. She unlocked and re-locked the door with the spare key he had lent her, and carefully climbed the ladder into her attic bedroom. It was a small but cosy space. Kukui had graciously obliged to decorate it to her taste. She had a settee bed – that was all Kukui had, and she didn't allow him to buy a brand-new bed for her – adorned with white and pink sheets near the ladder. It was out of view of the living room, placed beneath the angled roof on which a curtained window shone a light on a dresser in the other corner, a Clefairy doll sat upon it. A cabinet with a small bag on top and a short bookshelf stood beside the dresser. It was simple, with a pink circular mat covering the open floorboards, but Lillie loved it.

Lillie flipped her floral sheets and dropped into her bed when she topped the final ladder rung and snuggled into her sheets and pillows.

She felt awful. That was the first time she had ever spoken out against her friends, even if for a cautionary purpose. Their manner of discussing Ash did not suit their characters, not at all. But Lillie felt bad that she didn't know whether she spoke out in Ash's defence or her own. There was so much she lacked the courage to tell them, so much about her past she was too afraid to relive, and so much she could not remember. They said they didn't know anything about Ash, but they didn't know anything about her, either. It was her own fault, and she knew it. But Lillie couldn't tell them. A spur of the moment, happy outburst allowed her to unveil her phobia of Pokémon to Ash. It took her a month and a half to tell Mallow, and two months to tell the others about it. She and Ash were the same.

Unable to get it off her mind, Lillie changed into her white nightie, pulled across the curtain, and decided to get some sleep. She would text her friends over Pokégear in the morning to apologise and hopefully continue their day as planned. She didn't have the courage to do it so soon after her outburst.

* * *

Three hurried knocks thumped Delia's front door, like the pleading of a horror film victim desperate to escape pursuit, and alerted Brock. He jogged to respond, or retaliate, depending on the visitor. Brock swung it open and Clemont fell inside, holding himself up against the wall, panting.

Panicked at his exhausted condition, Brock inspected Clement, expecting to see some sort of injury given his haste and Oak's sudden personality reversal. His jumpsuit was unscathed, and his glasses were intact. He had no cuts or bruises.

"Are you alright, Clemont?"

Clemont nodded. "Yeah," he huffed, "I'm fine. I'm just not very athletic, and I had to run here so Oak didn't see me leave."

Brock blew out deeply, "I gathered as much. Well, come into the living room. We've been worried," Brock said.

Straightening up, Clemont followed Brock through to where Delia was sitting. She sprung to her feet as he entered, and quickly hugged him. He sat next to her then, and Brock assumed his position opposite.

Last time Clemont visited, he had to leave quickly to return before Oak realised his absence. Before Clemont left, he confirmed he would return, and Brock had been waiting for him. He felt it was his duty, now that he knew about it, to help Clemont and Bonnie out of their situation.

"I'm sorry it's been almost a week since I came last," Clemont began.

"It's alright, Clemont. I'm just glad to see you are safe," Delia said dotingly.

"I've tried to come, honestly, but Oak is surveying everything. He's like a dictator. It's as if he doesn't want anybody to leave, especially me. I think he's suspicious of me. I was only able to come here because he left on an errand somewhere and placed Tracey in charge, who went to take care of the Pokémon," Clemont said.

"Really, it's alright, Clemont. You don't have to force yourself to come here if it endangers you."

"T-Thank you, Mrs Ketchum," Clemont said, bowing his head slightly. "H-How can we help Bonnie?" Clemont said, his voice strained. Brock empathised.

"I'm not sure, dear. But that's why we're here," Delia softly said.

"We can't just leave her there with how Oak is acting. Arceus, I can't even think of a reason he might've changed so suddenly," Brock said. Samuel Oak had never before shown signs of scorn towards Ash's dream, nor distaste for his countless efforts. All Brock had witnessed from the man was confidence and support. It was bizarre, but there was a reason. A reason Brock wanted to uncover.

Suddenly, Brock hammer-punched his thigh. "Hang on, Clemont just said something really important! Of course, Oak doesn't want anyone to leave! Since I used to be a gym leader, a mandatory part of the job was to read up on all of the laws and rules passed. You probably had to as well, Clemont. There's a law in place that states that anyone who tries to sabotage a trainer can be arrested. It's like any other job. If you try to sabotage or undermine an employer or a business, you can end up in jail."

"That includes taking and distributing a trainer's Pokémon without permission, which I saw him doing with Ash's Pokémon… If such an unfortunate incident occurs to a trainer, their Pokémon should go to their family, but Oak hasn't done that…" Clemont added.

"Exactly! He's broken the law! And if anybody was to leave, especially you – someone who resisted at first – they could put in a claim against him. That would ruin everything he's built," Brock said. He edged forward; that sounded a promising way to reprimand Oak, a sure-fire opening for Arceus' Judgement.

Brock looked to Delia, the deciding vote. He could see their idea troubled her. Her benevolence probably created turmoil; she likely didn't want anybody to come out of this situation any worse than they started. Anybody except herself, Brock realised, because she had lost Ash. Brock didn't have that; he didn't care if they ruined Oak. All he wanted was to avenge Ash because he, too, would leave with scars.

"I wish it was as easy as putting in a claim against him," Delia said. "I wish we could talk to Lance about it. But I don't want to ruin his life. I want to try and resolve everything correctly."

"I – I get that, yes. Personally, I don't believe he deserves to be thought of in that way. You are a much nicer person than I am, Delia. It's difficult, though, to make that decision… I was a Gym Leader. Lance would meet with me. Would you like for me to do that?" Brock asked heatedly.

"I would love it if you could, Brock, and kindly explain everything," Delia softly said, "but it isn't as easy as telling Lance, putting in a claim," she repeated.

"Because of Bonnie," Clemont added. "When Oak hears of a claim against him, who do you think he will suspect?" Clemont asked, dropping his head into his hands as if he were at fault.

Brock hesitated, "He'd suspect you… Of course, he would. Damn it. What do we do?" he asked, mimicking Clemont's thinking pose.

Brock was clueless to any solution. He couldn't think of a plan, no matter how long they pondered in profound silence; it was so quiet he could hear the click of the clock. If they were to get Bonnie out, they would have to avoid being seen. But he had seen too many people recuperating inside the shambolic remains after the attack. If only Jessie and James hadn't left.

"I should go straight over there and confront Oak," Delia stated. Brock flicked his head up. Delia's face was set, set into a straight lipped, frowned eyed, purposeful stare, conveying her conviction clearer than Brock could think. Delia was right, and he was thinking too hard.

"He's not there right now…" Clemont argued.

"I will wait for him, then! As Ash's mother, I think I am entitled to do so! And as a caring mother, I can't just leave Bonnie there! He wouldn't be able to stop me from bringing the two of you to stay with me before your flight home."

Brock looked over at Clemont, catching his eyes. It was so easy. Something he never would have considered. "That – uhh – that would actually work…"

Despite his compliance with that simple idea and how thorough it sounded, and the finality Delia used in her motherly tone, the warning in it, Brock felt that more could be done. All they would be doing by allowing Delia to retrieve Bonnie would be just that, but, in his opinion, Oak deserved more than a warning. They could use the situation, especially with what they had just discussed. But how?

Clemont sighed, his tone overflowing with relief. "And I was thinking we had to plan some big escape to get my sister out, that I would have to create an invention, maybe use my Aipom Arm to pull her out of a window. Jeez, I'm so stupid. We're not in some kind of drama story."

"A mother's love is much more effective than a plan like that. Don't you worry, Clemont, I'll go and get her now," Delia said. She stood, swiped her hair over her shoulder like a model, and marched towards the hall.

"Wait!" Brock called. "Please don't be hasty, Delia."

"How do you mean?" Delia asked, half-sitting back down, half-way ready to leave.

"I – I don't know. But we can use it. We just have to think–"

"Just before I came over here the first time, a man I think was Gary Oak's father, so probably Oak's son, said he was going to find somebody, and then they would talk to Oak about everything," Clemont queried. He looked back up at Delia. "What if he's gone to–"

"He's gone to find Officer Jenny!" Brock exclaimed. "He must have! Blue used to be a champion and a gym leader; he was still a gym leader back when I was young; Before Gary was born. That means he knows about that law, and if he knows what happened, he can get Oak arrested for it."

"He does. He found out about everything just before he left. What if we wait for him to come back with Officer Jenny, and then we act? It can be a double whammy: we get Bonnie out, and get a bit of revenge for Ash," Clemont asked.

"I don't want revenge," Delia said, settling back into her seat. "If Officer Jenny does come, then I will have a word with her about things. Naturally, I want to give Samuel a piece of my mind for what he did, but he couldn't have stopped what – happened to Ash."

"I'm not sure it would be so easy," Clemont said.

"Well, nonetheless, that is my plan," Delia said, and Brock could tell her mind was unmoveable. "When will Blue return?"

"I'm not sure," Clemont said.

"It's been about a week, right?" Brock asked.

"Just over."

"Blue can't be away for much longer, then," Brock said.

"But a week to find Officer Jenny? And we are putting all of our trust in a guess…" Delia reasoned.

"Yes, that's true. What if we just give it a day or two? If he returns, we act. If not, we just get Bonnie out. I don't want her to be there for longer than she has to be," Clemont suggested.

Delia seemed to ponder it for a moment. "I suppose running straight in may be foolish. If that is what you want, Clemont. She is your sister, after all. We will do as you say," Delia smiled again, a much more welcome sight. Mothers truly were scary when angry.

Suddenly, three quick clacks against the door echoed through the room. Brock looked at Delia, then Clemont, then the door.

* * *

"Gary, are you ok?" Dawn asked, rubbing Gary's shoulder as comfortingly as she could. They had just left the hospital after seeing Gary's mother and sister for the first time since the accident, and Dawn couldn't believe the severity of their injuries. Yellow had broken her arm and sprained her ankle, and Daisy had broken a few ribs. All because of the same incident that stole Ash from them.

"Yeah, I'll be ok," Gary said, placing his hand atop hers. He softly smiled. "Thank you, Dawn. It's just hard seeing my mum and sister so hurt like that."

"A broken arm and some broken ribs… Yeah, I'm gonna say the ribs are worse. Your sister is in for a tough few weeks, or months," Barry said, stepping out of Viridian Hospital.

"Thanks for that, Barry. Seriously. I appreciate the sentiment," Gary said sarcastically, shaking his head. He smiled, nonetheless.

"Idiot," Paul said.

"What'd I say?!" Barry yelled.

"What should we do now? We had to wait a week to see your mother and sister, but now we have nothing to do," Dawn said.

"Nah, there is something we have to do. Follow me," Gary said, and he led them back through Viridian Forest and into Pallet Town – what was left of it, at least. By that point, so long after the incident, most of the houses were undergoing repair. Large sheets of tarp and towers of wooden and metal scaffolding walled the wreckages, and people worked, doing their part to repair anything they could. Machop, Machoke, and Machamp lugged the wood and brick around, providing the materials to any hard-hat-wearing residents.

Gary led them to one of the only houses that remained intact, and one Dawn had only been to once in her life – Ash's house. He knocked on the door, there was a pause, and then it swung open, but it wasn't Delia on the other side. It was Brock.

"Brock?!" Dawn cried, stepping in front of the boys to announce herself.

"Dawn?! You guys too! You're here!" Brock said.

"Yeah, I heard what happened and decided to come home. I brought these guys with me," Gary said. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, probably. I've been here a while, making sure Delia is alright," Brock said, stepping aside to let them all in. "It's nice to see you all."

"Same here, it's been forever, Brock!" Barry said. Brock pushed the door shut behind them and wandered into the living room. Dawn followed behind him.

"Dawn, dear? Is that you?!" Delia asked as she stepped into the living room. Dawn hugged Delia the second she saw her, and she couldn't stop the tiny tears from flowing.

"Mrs Ketchum I – I'm so sorry!" Dawn cried. She didn't care what the boys thought of her, not at that moment when everything returned to her harder than before, as if she shared it with Delia herself. She had been strong the entire trip, but now she couldn't block the cracks in her heart.

It took a few minutes for her to calm down, by which point Brock distributed teas and coffees around the room. Dawn finally noticed the stranger in the room, and immediately recognised him from their intrusion at Oak's lab. He was the boy that ran off right at the end.

"Mrs Ketchum, we have never met, but I am an old rival of Ash's, Paul Shinji. We were not entirely close, but I can truly say that Ash changed my life. He opened my eyes to things I never considered before. I'm sorry for your loss," Paul said, bowing his head lightly. Delia nodded her thanks, smiling across the room.

"Uh, yeah! And I'm Barry, another old friend of Ash's! Gary asked me to come over with him, so here I am!" Barry announced.

Delia laughed, "It's nice to meet you both. Thank you for coming." She turned to Gary, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, there's nothing like that. We just wanted to check in, but it seems Brock beat us to it." Gary nodded to the elder trainer, out of respect, Dawn assumed. "Just wondering, though, what's _he _doing here?" Gary asked, pointing at the blonde across the room, who's head dropped into his hands.

"Gary, don't," Brock said. There was warning in his voice, and anger too. Dawn had rarely heard Brock sound so serious.

"You see Gary–" Delia began.

"My name is Clemont," Clemont said, interrupting Delia. "I'm here because I'm asking Mrs Ketchum and Brock for help. Yes, I was present when Oak tried to stop Ash from being a trainer, but he forced me into it. He threatened my little sister. I couldn't do anything. So, I'm here making a plan to get her out," Clemont said hurriedly, tempered, and Dawn realised he must have already suffered the accusations Gary's tone insinuated. Whatever suspicions Dawn had when first seeing Clemont transformed into sympathy. Oak was despicable.

"That's the situation," Brock said, "we have an idea for how to get Bonnie out, we're just waiting for your father to get back, Gary, hopefully with Officer Jenny. Did he tell you when he's getting back?"

"No, he didn't. Annoyingly," Gary said.

"Wait, hang on, I can't be the only one here that's a little confused," Barry announced, wobbling on the edge of his cushion. "What's going on?"

"Clemont, do you want to explain everything from the start again?" Brock asked.

Clemont nodded, and Dawn steeled herself. She was about to find out something she had been curious about since Oak called her: what truly happened? "Alright. Bonnie and I received a call from Professor Oak asking us to come to Kanto to celebrate Ash's runner-up placement. But when we got here, he gathered a large group of us together and asked us to betray Ash. So many of the group agreed, probably because of how Oak worded it, but–"

"How did he word it?" Paul asked. "That could be vital to some people's change of character."

Clemont considered his question a moment. "He said it was for Ash's benefit. He said Ash had lots of potential in him to move on to better things, but his current path was holding him back. Of course, that isn't how it came out when he confronted Ash. It never is, is it? Anyway, he said things like Ash can finally stay home and be with us all, that he's better off letting Oak study him, or something along those lines."

Gary clicked his fingers. "It makes sense now. So Oak said that he was doing it to make Ash stay at home?" Clemont nodded. "Then that's why Misty agreed. Brock, I'm sure you know why."

"Because she liked Ash? That's why she agreed? So she could be around him more?" Brock asked, and Gary grunted his confirmation. "Wait, but I thought she was–"

"Nope, it's both."

"Gah, stop talking in riddles! What're you saying?" Barry said loudly. Brock shook his head in dismissal as if it wasn't his to say.

"That doesn't matter," Dawn added, slightly curious about the boys' cryptic conversation, but ignoring it for now, "What I'm curious about is why so many of the others agreed. I get that Oak said Ash would come home, and everybody probably missed him, but so many people live in different regions anyway. Why would they agree?"

"Think about it logically," Clemont said. "Ash hadn't seen some of these people in a few years, had he? A few years can change people a lot, especially during their teenage years. Sure, they may have been Ash's friends a few years back, but they could have changed a lot since then."

"Hmm, yeah, you just need to take May as an example," Brock said. "She was a very close friend at one point, but since we left Hoenn and Sinnoh, we haven't seen her once. It's been around two years. She's in a relationship with Drew now, and when you're a teenager, relationships seem like the biggest thing in the world, don't they? Who knows how that could have changed her?"

"But she was so nice before…" Dawn said. She was struggling to believe how May could have possibly changed so much.

"Anyway, does that really matter now?" Paul said. "What's done is done. We should live in the here and now. Time is a dangerous thing, yes, but we can only change what's happening now. Whatever you have planned, I'm in."

"Yes, time is a very dangerous thing. It's beautiful that you are all still such good friends of Ash's, even after years apart and…" Delia trailed. She shook her head. "We plan to have Samuel taken for questioning, not arrested, for the mishandling of Ash's Pokémon, as well as possibly some repercussions for keeping Bonnie, Clemont's sister, there. We are hoping Blue will return with Officer Jenny."

"I see… Smart. How do we know Blue will come back with Officer Jenny, though?" Paul asked.

"Well, we–" Clemont was cut off by three more knocks on the front door.

"Jeez, how many friends does this kid have?!" Barry asked aloud.

Dawn watched the door as Brock stood to approach it, but it opened before he left the living room.

"Delia? You here? It's me, Blue!" Blue's voice called from the hallway.

Dawn looked across at Delia, who peered around the corner of the settee into the hallway. Dawn looked too and saw Blue walking in, but Officer Jenny was not at his side. It was a man. Clad in a red jacket and hat, his soft eyes wavering between brown and red, his hands lodged in his pockets, and a Pikachu on his shoulder, Dawn thought she was looking at Ash.

Delia leapt out of her seat, her eyes teary, wide, and sparkling.

"Red!"


	16. Chapter 15: Red

Chapter 15:

Red

Clemont was nonplussed towards the new arrival – Red, as Delia had breathlessly dubbed him.

Clemont stared at him in tandem with everyone else, incredulously, because he surmised Red's identity even before he and Delia kissed, tightly clung together as if they each thought the other was a mirage. It wasn't the Pikachu perched on his shoulder as if a phantom of Ash – blinking its wide, dolefully liquid eyes and nuzzling its cheek into Delia's – nor his attire's uncanny likeness to Ash's but coloured red that unveiled his identity. Delia had exposed Red before their intimate embrace through her doting eyes and her tears, and the pitch of her voice: high because of relief, the way she had greeted Ash whenever he had called her from Kalos. It was the relief of knowing the one she loved the most was ok.

A quote from Ash wriggled free of the storm that muddled Clemont's mind as of late: _"My desire to meet the man my mother loves." _It couldn't be anybody else. Kissing seemed improper given the audience that was unethically transfixed, but it confirmed Clemont's theory.

Red was Ash's father.

The husband and wife stood embraced for a moment. Together. Nobody spoke; speech would be taboo in that beautifully awkward moment. Clemont locked eyes with Brock, Gary, Dawn, and he knew they had realised who he was too.

Delia and Red separated, but she held his shoulders close with trembling hands – her legs and arms trembled too, what seemed to be birthed of emotion – as if he were a feather in a tornado, liable to catch a current and whisk away if she released him. As if he were liable to disappear again. Red gently lowered Delia's hands, caressing one in his own, maintaining their connection in a way Clemont understood as reassurance. Red was affirming reality, saying he wouldn't go. Clemont didn't know how he knew it, but, somehow, Red's eyes declared it.

The reunited couple walked side-by-side into the living room, towards the breathless intruders. They really were intruders; that was how Clemont considered it and thinking as such guilted him towards leaving. How long had it been since Delia had seen her husband last? A moment bearing such intimacy and timeless love, definitely stored, and yearned for throughout their extensive separation, shouldn't have had an audience. Then, guilt stabbed Clemont a different way, unveiling the true heartbreak of the loving reunion. They were about to meet Ash's father. But Ash never had.

Like the whisper of a spirit lingering in the air, taunting his ears, Ash's earlier sentiment replayed to Clemont's mind: he wanted to become a Pokémon Master to meet his father. He had patterned his life in pursuit of the man who had arrived as an average visitor, as somebody that wasn't seated upon an impossible pedestal. Suddenly, everything seemed bitter-sweet. The Ketchum family could never be whole again. Clemont wondered why; why had Ash not been able to meet his father?

"Everybody," Delia said, wiping her watery cheeks, rosy and puffed with conflicted happiness, "this is Red, my husband, and Ash's father," Delia concluded.

"And my best friend! I'm Blue, by the way, Gary's father," Blue added, but nobody noticed.

Delia took her seat on the settee and gestured everyone else to do the same. Blue leaned over the back; there was not enough space for the whole of Ash's extended family in the room.

Clemont was muted, staring at Red, as the rest began introductions, giving his name quietly. Red was Ash if he had lived to experience his adulthood, in body and manner. Identically to Blue's, more even, Red's persona indicated his skill. But unlike Blue, who's smirk advocated his confidence and competence, Red's expression exuded calmness and calculation, but distance too. Clemont deduced a passion blazing behind his calm and almost cold front, and something else too, but he couldn't name it. He quickly dubbed Red a pariah, not because he did not fit in, but because he seemed above them all, an outcast in the sense of superiority. Clemont saw it all just by looking at him. He saw what he had in Ash. He was a man who stood above the rest. He was a Pokémon Master.

Strangely, though, Red persistently peeked discomforted glances at the people in the room and fidgeted as if he hadn't seen people in years.

"Umm… Not to be rude, but where have you been, Sir?" Gary asked, he too proving he understood Red's experienced aura given his use of such a title.

"Red will do, Gary," Delia answered for him. "He's always sorry to have to say this, but he can't answer any questions verbally in this type of environment. You see, Red has something called psychogenic mutism, otherwise known as selective mutism." Red nodded his head, dipping his cap over his eyes.

Clemont gasped. "Really?! You mean you can only talk in certain situations?" he asked, and Red nodded his head again.

"In any social situation with someone unfamiliar, or even someone familiar, Red cannot speak, even if he wants to," Delia said, rubbing her thumb over Red's hand. "However, when he's with me, Blue, or Blue's wife – our childhood friendship group – together or alone, he can speak. We've tried treatment for it, but, unfortunately, it never worked."

"That means he can't talk while in public, right?!" Paul cried, awe overtaking his expression.

"But then – if he's a Pokémon Trainer…" Dawn trailed. Red nodded again.

"Yeah, he's awesome, isn't he? He's a master trainer who doesn't have to speak to his Pokémon to let them know what to do," Blue said, broadly grinning. Red frowned. "It wasn't always that way. In our youth, he was the most talkative guy ever!" Red squinted at him. "Right, of course, besides me. Anyways, it happened in an accident."

"Yes, an accident," Delia repeated, dubiously. "Since it happened, he hasn't been able to speak in public. It is a lot rarer to happen in adults, but that is how it is. The… The only word he has said in public since the incident is Ash. That is how we named him when he was born."

"Wow… That's beautiful…" Dawn muttered, and Clemont agreed; Red and Ash were connected in a way Ash had never known.

However, their poetic connection did not engross Clemont the way Red's ability to bond with Pokémon did. He was stricken and perplexed. Were they able to read his mind, despite the likelihood they weren't all Psychic Types? That was an absurd theory; it did not seem possible. He had never heard of something so farfetched before.

But he had. Ash and Greninja had shared an analogous ability. It wasn't telepathy, it was as if they had shared hearts and minds. _Does that mean Red has the same ability? _Clemont wondered, awed.

"–get Bonnie out. We were going to do just that until you showed up, Red. But now, we should have a real conversation with Samuel. I feel that there is a lot more to this situation than we think."

"What do you mean?" Clemont asked quickly, his brotherly worry deepening.

Delia lightly shook her head. "Don't worry, Clemont. It has nothing to do with Bonnie and you, or Ash even. This is something us adults have to deal with, a part of our past. I'm just thinking out loud," Delia said. Clemont relaxed. He felt he could allow relief now, with men like Red and Blue present. Trainers like Ash.

"Either way, we can't do anything now. We will have to wait for Oak to be there. Do you know when that will be, Clemont?" Delia asked.

"Probably this evening."

"Then that is when we'll meet him. We could get Bonnie now, but I would prefer her to be there when we talk to him. It gives him less leverage to argue." Delia turned to the room. "Now, could I kindly ask you all to head home to wherever you are staying and get some rest? This evening might be slightly stressful, and since Red has just come home, I think we should talk about some things," Delia asked, in such a kind way that nobody argued.

"We'll be at our house," Blue said, and Gary's quartet quickly offered their farewells and disappeared with him. They began muttering as soon as they left the living room, probably sharing their surprise.

Clemont stood to leave, but Delia spoke up, delaying his departure. "Clemont, if Samuel is not going to be there, why don't you stay here for now?"

"I-I appreciate the offer, but I can't leave Bonnie alone…"

"I'm sure it will be ok for a few hours. We will get her as soon as he comes home. First thing. I promise. I wouldn't want you to be in an awkward position if you returned now. What do you say?" Delia asked.

Clemont considered momentarily. It _did _sound smart. "Y – Yeah, I'll stay."

"Excellent! You can rest in the guest room upstairs. You will know when you see it," Delia said, and Clemont thanked her. He left the living room, hearing Delia's voice one more time. "Are you alright, Brock?"

"Yes. I'm just shocked. I wanted to wait until everybody else was gone because I have so many questions, if I may–"

Clemont noticed Delia and Red never let their hands go.

* * *

_Red may have the same ability as Ash… What does that mean? Could it be because they're father and son? Wait, I don't even know if Red actually has an ability like Ash's. I'm just guessing, but still… _Clemont wondered to himself, washing his face in the bathroom mirror.

Nighttime had arrived rapidly. Everything was dark in the house now, tranquil rather than gloomy. Homely. The bathroom window hung ajar, and a therapeutic whiff of petrichor leaked in. Clemont couldn't see the rain through the frosted panels, but he heard its soothing melody.

Clemont had abandoned the day to his thoughts, attempting to make sense of everything while he stared out of the window in the guest room waiting for Oak's car to return. Ash and Red, Bonnie, Serena, Oak; there was so much rapidly pulsing through his mind that he had no time to filter it all, to think coherently.

Clemont walked out onto the landing and paused just outside the guest room when he heard Delia talking downstairs.

"Where did you go for so long, Red?" she asked in her sweet voice.

A quiet, cool voice replied, that somehow sounded heavy, fatigued. It was Red, able to speak away from the spheres of strangers. "Kanto, Sinnoh, everywhere. Most recently, Mt Silver."

"Mt Silver?! You had to go all the way up there?" Delia exclaimed.

"Yeah. It's one of the most secluded places I could think of."

"I know it's far away and hardly anybody goes there, and it's a good location to choose, but you must have felt so alone. Not to mention, it must have worsened your condition somewhat, suffering such a quick life change and isolation."

"Yeah. I did feel lonely without you. And Ash."

"I know, Red. I wish you had gotten to meet him properly before he–"

Clemont looked away. He knew he shouldn't listen to it, but he couldn't quell his curiosity.

"What if he didn't?" Red asked.

"You don't think he died? But why?" Delia asked.

"That guy came and talked to me. He knows everything, doesn't he? He said I shouldn't be sure about it," Red answered.

"What?! He talked with you?! Why, Red? I know it's complicated, but I need to know what happened, what caused you to leave. I know it was for us, but why?"

"…Ok."

Clemont wanted to listen further, but he didn't want to intrude. Hearing anymore would be less a nose out of curiosity and more an invasion of privacy. More-so than he had already committed. He walked into the spare room and closed the door, and waited, peering out of the window so that he could see Pallet's roads. He kept watching and thinking.

About an hour later, the same car Oak left in ambled along the road towards his lab, as if the man inside were contentedly admiring the sight from within it. Clemont bolted from his seat, down the stairs, and they were soon out the door and on their way to Oak's lab.

* * *

Clemont's apprehension was a drilling infection toiling to prevent his confrontation with Oak, an electric current buzzing through his bones, forcing his arms and legs to tremble. The whole-bodied, unnerving prickling coalesced with his doubt and self-questioning, emulating claustrophobia in his chest. He felt as if his heart was tautly seized by emotion. He forcibly breathed, and flexed and clenched his clammy hands and fingers, trying to ease his nerves. To calm himself. Clemont vowed never again to conform to his woes and self-doubt, so he fought it. He wouldn't let it win. Not this time; not after he had betrayed Ash by doing so previously.

Mustering the courage Ash had gifted into his heart, Clemont kept in step, walking behind their group that looked more like a mob now with the addition of Blue and the rest, minus the speared pitchforks and flickering torches. They, as a substitution for Ash, boosted his confidence. He kept going despite the worries, especially the one eluding to Oak's reaction, the many harsh possibilities he concocted. Though, the conspicuous Pokéballs bobbing on the straps of Red's bag repelled any worries: they were more threatening and would be significantly more effective than a pitchfork in subjugating Oak.

The group soon crested the walkway to Oak's lab, and Clemont enacted a final, prolonged deep breath, attaining a surprising calmness when he blew out. He was ready to go.

Clemont stepped through the lab's door – that was now only a frame of fragmented glass – after Delia herself and spotted Bonnie immediately. She was stood by the far wall, in front of a desk littered with ripped paper and a misaligned computer monitor. She was beside Serena and Calem. The Arbok's coil of his apprehension loosened against his relief. Bonnie was unhurt. He nudged past Gary – who uncharacteristically didn't complain – and opened his mouth to call her name. But Delia spoke first, saying something that unravelled a world of understanding Clemont had been unable to crack during his ponderous afternoon.

"Ash?!"

Clemont followed the woman's eye-line directly to Calem's back. Unconsciously, a blip of thought flashed in Clemont's mind, and he assumed it was exactly what Delia had thought: from behind, the double-foreigner resembled Ash. It could have merely been the clothing coupled with the colour of his hair, but the likeness rang true. Only at first glance, however. Clemont quickly spotted his hair's lighter hue and flatter style, and his different build when he properly looked at him.

_No way…_ Clemont thought, glancing over at Serena. _Is that the reason? Serena… Surely not._

"Clemont, there you are! We were worried! Who are all of these people?" Bonnie asked, bouncing across the lab, her small yellow bag knocking against her side. "Oh, I know you! You're Ash's Mum! Hi!" At that, Serena spun, her eyes reflecting a petrified Deerling.

Clemont forcefully dropped to his right knee – it slammed against the ground but he didn't register the pain – pulling Bonnie into a hug he imbued with as much brotherly compassion as was feasible. "I'm so sorry, Bonnie. I put you in danger. I'm so, so sorry," Clemont said, the recently familiarised warmth of tears tickling over his eyes. He had cried too much lately: Clemont sniffled, and wiped his eyes on his jumpsuit, pulling back. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Bonnie asked, blinking innocently at her brother. "Is everything ok, Clemont?"

"Yes, Bonnie, I'm ok. Thank you," Clemont said. He peered over his shoulder at Delia, whose smile matched his own.

"Bonnie, dear. Would you come here a moment?" Delia asked, and crouched to her height. The young blonde scampered across the lab to Delia, waving and giggling; Clemont slowly stood and followed. Delia took Bonnie's left hand gently between her own and ghosted her thumbs over the young girl's knuckles as dotingly as a Kangaskan. As she had said, with a mother's love. "Clemont came to talk with me, and I have something to ask you: would you like to stay with my husband and I for the remainder of your stay here in Kanto?"

"Y-Your husband?!" Serena breathed, staring at Red who was quite obviously the man in question, but Clemont took no notice.

"We believe it would be best, just until the pair of you can get home safely. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun; Red has lots of different Pokémon you can play with."

Bonnie's sunny bearing and expression erupted into a solar flare. She gasped aloud in glee. "Ok! Yay, I'm gonna get to play with a bunch of new Pokémon! Will Ash come home soon to play with me?"

Clemont paled. He thought she knew. Quickly affixing Delia with a grieved, wordless apology via his eyes, he moved to talk with Bonnie. But Delia shook her head lightly, her hair swaying, smiling through the heartbreak that drew lines of stress on her attractive face.

Delia ruffled Bonnie's hair gently, "Oh, I'm not so sure. You know him. Wherever he goes, he's always adventuring. I like to think that he still is, even now," Delia said.

The rest of the room, however, had stagnated. Serena was crying again while Ash's replacement attempted to console her, and the others present – Misty, May, and Drew – seemed unable to speak. Clemont had to look to the side; he couldn't let Bonnie see him cry. Delia was so, so strong. He admired her more than he had when he received her understanding when, realistically, she should have shunned him.

"Aww," Bonnie pouted, "I wanted to play with Pikachu…" Bonnie peered at Red, her eyes glistening. "Oh! Could I play with your Pikachu? Pretty please?!" Red smiled gently and glanced at his Pikachu. But his small partner had no time to jump down to Bonnie when a new voice, stern and agitated, spoke from the doorway deeper into the lab.

"What are _you_ _all_ doing here?!"

"Dad! Nice of you to join us!" Blue stated puckishly, and his lips bent into a smirk. "I said I'd be back, so here I am! I'm sure you know my friend here, Red Ketchum." Blue gestured Red, "Ash's father, the strongest champion to ever rule Indigo Plateau! Yes, yes, no need to berate me with your eyes, good friend, I'll stop complimenting you." Blue patted Red's shoulder, which slumped as if he had sighed.

"You're alive?!" Oak retorted, startled. He stepped backwards; Red and Delia stepped forwards.

_Alive?_ Clemont thought, quickly considering the meaning of it. Delia and Red had probably talked about it when he stopped eavesdropping earlier. _What has happened to Red?_

"Yep, he is! And I love it!" Blue goaded. "I'll be quiet now so you can get to talking, Delia. Don't mind me and my glee!"

Delia quickly thanked Blue, then the mask she used to appease Bonnie slipped off, and her curious anger surfaced. "We are here to talk about Ash," Clemont noticed Delia's eyes flick towards Serena, "and everything that has happened up to this point. Firstly, I just want to say that Bonnie is coming to live with us from now on. As a mother, I cannot allow her to stay with you, not after the things I have heard."

"W-What are you insinuating?!" Oak shouted.

"You know perfectly well what, Samuel! Honestly, what has happened to you? Blackmailing Clemont with Bonnie's safety. How could you?!"

"I didn't–"

"Just think of Ritchie!" Clemont shouted, stepping away from Bonnie, who Dawn quickly ushered to the back of the group, introducing herself in whispers. Evidently, Bonnie was confused. "He spoke out against you, and suddenly he's in the hospital! Explain that!"

"Ihaven't done anything!"

"What, did someone do it for you?! Did you order them to do it?!" Gary joined, scoffing, thrusting such a forced glare at his grandfather that even Clemont flinched from its impact.

"Enough!" That was the first time Clemont had heard Delia shout. It certainly did not suit her, but it paralysed the room instantaneously. Clemont considered that was why it had such a powerful effect; it was so unnatural, and the fact that they forced it on her asserted how serious the situation truly was. "Everybody take a seat. Now. Let's talk about this without shouting the entire time."

Wordlessly, the room seated themselves either on chairs, the floor, or makeshift perches crafted from the excess debris. Clemont sat with Bonnie and Dawn on a collapsed pillar that had yet to be moved.

"I hope for your sake, Samuel, that you are telling the truth and you didn't do anything–"

"I would never harm a young girl!"

"Even so," Delia continued, "my word stands. She and Clemont will be staying with us from now on. End of discussion. Now, please tell me why you tried to stop Ash from being a trainer."

Oak grunted, looking off to the side. "Why else? It was all for his sake."

"Don't give us that crap!" Brock shouted, jumping back to his feet. Clemont had forgotten Brock's presence – he had been as silent and unmoving as a rock thus far. He looked furious. "If it was for his benefit, none of you would have tried demeaning him as we've been told you did!"

Oak stood next, shoving his hands into his lab coat pockets, wandering side-to-side. "That was simply the best method to do so. If I had asked him nicely, he wouldn't have accepted. If I had his friends bring him down, and then fix things afterwards, he would have come out ok in the end."

"Why did you believe it was necessary in the first place?" Delia calmly asked.

Stubbornly, Oak did not reply. Brock stepped forwards, clenching his fist, but a lightning-quick hand patted his shoulder and calmed the storm. Again, it was Red.

"Y'know, Red has explained to both Delia and I what happened roughly sixteen years ago, about the falsification," Blue stated, and Oak's head snapped up from staring at the dusty ground. "We could – oh I dunno – go right to Officer Jenny and – oooh I wonder – tell her everything. We'll just add on what we already know about Ash's situation, and let Lance get all the information out of you. I hear the League's Alakazam is a true connoisseur of the art."

"Alright, alright, fine! Just – please don't talk to Officer Jenny," Oak shouted. "Why else would I want Ash to stay here? If you know me at all, you will get it."

Clemont considered his words. He was Gary's grandfather, the host of a radio show, but most significantly, a world-renowned Pokémon Professor whose topic of research covered human and Pokémon relationships.

_Human and Pokémon relationships…_

"Stop talking in riddles, Old Man! I–" Blue started.

"It was because of their bond, wasn't it?" Clemont asked, earning everybody's attention. "Professor Samuel Oak: a world-renowned Pokémon Professor famous for his research on the bonds and relationships between humans and Pokémon. That's what people say about you. You must've realised what Ash and Greninja's ability was right away when you watched the Kalos League. But why would you want him to stay here because of that?"

"For research, of course. I wanted Ash to stay so I could study him to uncover the root of that ability, the Bond Phenomenon! Can you blame me? It is my life's work after all, and I had been denied once before," Oak said, glancing at Red.

"Rightfully so! It sounds to me as if you wanted to use Ash as some sort of human experiment!" Delia said, appalled.

"There is a lot you can discover simply by observing, as a matter of fact. Do any of you realise that Greninja is not the first Pokémon that Ash has exhibited the Bond Phenomenon with, albeit not to the same magnitude? Yes, you heard me right. It is not the Pokémon that causes the ability, but the trainer. I found that much out from you, Red, but my research was stinted there. I didn't even realise Ash had done it until I thought back," Oak explained.

"What do you mean he's used it before?" Brock asked.

"His Infernape. What usually happens when a completely deranged Pokémon is born into a pack in the wild?"

"They would either be exiled from the group or would have to put them down… I learned that much over in Sinnoh," Gary answered, rubbing his chin with his index finger and thumb.

"Precisely! It is the same if that insane Pokémon is owned by a trainer. Often, they have to be put down because they are feral and won't listen to instructions. That is the draw-back of abilities such as Blaze, Torrent, and Overgrow: if the ability is too strong and the Pokémon cannot control it, as was with Ash's Infernape, they slowly become out of control and must be put down. Of course, it is extremely rare and completely different from Pokémon that are merely angry or moody. This is a feral nature we are talking about. Many have tried controlling them, some have even lost their lives trying. But Ash was able to, as a thirteen-year-old no less. That, in itself, is an example of the Bond Phenomenon.

"As I have researched, their hearts must have connected in a way that let Ash reach Infernape through the rage. This is merely educated speculation. When I saw his Greninja's transformation, I saw the pinnacle of the Bond Phenomenon. I had to know more. I had to discover the reason."

"I never considered that when we journeyed through Sinnoh…" Paul muttered. "So, you did it out of greed? Just because Ash was able to use an ability you don't know much about?"

"Fascination, not greed."

"Surely he can't be the only one that has the ability," Dawn stated.

"Coincidentally, Ash and Red are the only two I have met. As Blue said, Red is the strongest Champion Kanto has ever had. That is because of his ability to bond so deeply with his Pokémon. They understand him or, as I have researched, they understand each other's hearts. That is what the Bond Phenomenon is. Ash took it to the next level."

"B-But Diantha, the Champion of Kalos, can battle with her Gardevoir without speaking!" Serena offered, but Oak denied her with a shake of his head.

"Gardevoir is a Psychic Type, therefore, that is not impossible. It is more telepathy. They may have a deep bond, but this is different. It's more understanding one another's intentions rather than their hearts. It's impressive, but Ash seemed to have this ability to bond with Pokémon beyond the conventional means. It's as if he becomes the Pokémon. If Ash felt pain whenever Greninja did. That constitutes their shared bond," Oak explained.

"T-That's…" Clemont muttered, unable to think of a way to retort. Oak's explanation was unflawed.

"I wouldn't half be surprised if his Pikachu's extraordinary strength was a result of the Bond Phenomenon, in that their connection somehow increased their strength," Oak said.

"So, you did all of this to keep Ash here to use him as an experiment? That is… honestly terrible," Dawn muttered, horrified.

"Y-Yeah, that's messed up!" Barry shouted in a way that showed he just wanted some involvement.

"You did do it for greed, then. Let me guess you wanted to be the one to put your name up in glory for the discovery of the phenomenon. Were you going to use that information to gain more deceitful fame?" Blue surmised.

"Well, I was going to create an article on it."

"I-I can't believe this, Samuel. Why? After everything we have been through, that you and Ash have been through. And falling to such methods of abuse, blackmailing, and imprisonment!" Delia said, her voice pleading. Red moved over and hugged her, glaring at Oak with the ferocity of a Blast Burn.

"Is your career seriously that important to you?!" Blue asked, but Oak did not reply. The conversation quickly ended as the elder Oak slumped into his rolling chair.

Clemont could hardly comprehend what he was hearing. How unethical was Oak planning to be? Would Ash have even been safe had he not died?

After a moment of careful consolation, Delia stepped away from Red and turned to face the youth in the room, specifically looking at Serena. "A-And what about the rest of you? Why did you decide to follow through with the plan?"

"Mrs Ketchum I–" Misty said in a high tone, staggering forwards, collapsing to her knees half-way. The tears burst out. "I just wanted Ash to come home! I never wanted anything like this to happen! I was being selfish – like always – and mean just because I wanted Ash to come home! I've felt so lonely ever since our journey together ended. I haven't been able to find any friends like him or you, Brock, except for one girl abroad who became my penpal. Even then, I haven't met her in person, only talked to her over the phone. I-I thought it was the only way to bring back what I – we – had. I missed having adventures together. I thought that, if I could be the one to help him when we all made him doubt himself, things could go back. I'm so sorry…"

Delia nodded but said nothing to Misty. She looked to May next, and the brunette took a moment, parted her lips, but decided to say nothing. Clemont took that to mean there was no reason. She had merely agreed and enacted the idea without consideration.

"Hah! Typical, that. I see Drew's arrogance got you, too. People really can change fast," Brock spat.

"What did you say–" Drew challenged, but Delia interrupting before Drew could move. Clemont didn't care for their theatrics. He was too curious about Serena's answer. Serena had undoubtedly loved Ash throughout their journey, and he couldn't fathom how she had changed so quickly, despite Calem's resemblance to Ash possibly affecting her decision.

"And what about you, Serena?" Delia asked, more emotionally than the others, as if it hurt her more to know Serena had been involved.

"M-Mrs Ketchum…" Serena breathed, unable to form any words. It looked as if speaking scared her at first. As if it hurt so much, she couldn't say anything. "I-I felt threatened! When I got here, I saw the Professor talking with some men in black… And I saw them there when everything happened. Calem nudged me, pointing them out. I didn't want to do it… But they were watching, the entire time." Serena looked like she wanted to say more, then, suddenly, she shouted, startling Clemont. "I–I love Ash! Even now, I still love him…"

"Then why are you with Calem?!" Clemont roared, because knowing that their feelings were shared made her decision seem significantly worse. "Because he reminds you of Ash?!"

"I-I don't know!" Serena shouted back, quickly silencing the enraged blonde. Calem merely looked down ashamedly. "Clemont, you were there! You could see I didn't want to do it, not at all!"

"Then, what, did he threaten you too when you spoke with him alone?!"

"Y-Yes…" Serena said, withdrawing into herself without providing the thing Clemont was most interested in. How?

"Alright, Clemont," Blue said, stepping between them. Clemont hadn't noticed he had slowly inched forwards, threateningly. "So, the mystery thickens! A conspiracy with some shifty men, eh? Yeah, that would explain a few things. I guess we'll have to go to Officer Jenny with that info!"

"Stop! I-I thought that convincing the girl Ash had the deepest connection with would be able to sway him! So, I did the only thing I could think of. I broke his heart. Calem here is my newest assistant, from Kalos. I asked him to go to Hoenn, dress up similarly to Ash, and act like him in the hopes of convincing Serena to date him. That would cause Ash the most pain, so I thought it would work! And it did, didn't it? She only likes Calem because he acted exactly like Ash. She was so easy to manipulate because she was in love."

"W-What?" Serena mumbled, staring at Calem in obvious disbelief, and what seemed like betrayal. Tears started dripping down her cheeks, and Clemont felt he could cry also.

"In the room, if you must know, I told her that if she didn't listen, I would make sure somebody I know would post an article about her, thus ruining her performing career," Oak added, sighing to himself.

"I've never heard something so – so disgusting in my life! It does not change the fact that she was involved but–" Delia cried, suddenly acquiring her dangerous anger again. "Not an hour before this whole fiasco, Ash told me that he loved Serena, and you caused _this_ to happen! How _dare _you!" At that, Serena bolted from the room, her heartbroken whimpers echoing with her steps. Apparently, her crying was all Delia needed to snap. "That's it. I am done, Samuel. I don't care anymore, not after all of this. Blue, please contact Officer Jenny immediately and inform her of the situation. Come on, everyone. We're leaving."

"Wait, stop! You said–"

"We're not children, Samuel!" Delia screamed, her tears flowing. "You cannot be allowed to get away with this!"

Ignoring Oak's protests, they left the lab and split up. Most of the group headed back to the Ketchum's house, but Clemont waited with Red, Blue, and Brock atop the hill as Blue relayed all of the information to Officer Jenny over the phone.

Some timeless minutes later, wherein Clemont tried but failed to comprehend everything, three police cars skidded to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Officer Jenny and a few officers, along with their Growlithe and Manectric, charged up the hill and quickly entered the lab, then exited, saying one thing that satisfied Clemont more than anything could have: "Samuel Oak, you are under arrest on the suspicion of assault, blackmail, the sabotaging of a trainer's career, the wrongful distribution of a trainer's Pokémon, and minor imprisonment and endangerment."

Oak struggled against the men dragging him, sneering at the group as he passed. "There is nothing you can do about this now; Ash is dead! Your son would have been nothing without me, he was not even cut out for being a trainer anyway! I was his father figure when you failed to be here! You disgrace!"

The thump from Red's lightning-fast punch seemed to resonate over the hilltop. Red was quickly pulled back by an officer, but the action spoke everything they had felt. And Clemont was wrong. _That _was the most satisfying thing he had ever experienced.

They headed home contentedly after that, the air around the four of them mixed with both relief and tension. That is until Blue started complimenting Red on his punching technique and how he wished he'd had the idea first. In his words, both Red and Gary had one up on him now. That was all it took for the mood to lighten between them, the realisation that Oak was receiving retribution for his actions finally sinking in.

They arrived back at the house a few minutes later and entered the living room to a surprising amount of silence. Clemont had expected everyone to be talking about the recent confrontation.

"We have news," Clemont heard James' familiar voice when the four males walked into the living room again. Surprised by the short sentence, Clemont rushed to the front of the group, getting a look at the TV monitor. Team Rocket was on the screen, and everybody was sat around, some shocked, some not because they had probably heard of Team Rocket's conversion from Brock as he previously had.

"We should have called earlier, but we have been caught up applying for some jobs," Jessie said, almost smugly.

"You need to know: Ash is alive."


	17. Chapter 16: Four Days

Chapter 16:

Four Days

In the first minute following James' message, the room was silent. In the second, it descended into a wild cacophony of voices as everyone denoted their disbelief and demanded James elaborate, pleading him to confirm it wasn't all a joke. Clemont, Delia, and Red were the only three that didn't speak. The couple eyed one another, then threw themselves into a crushing embrace, sharing joyous tears that could only have come from the alleviation of the agony they had both so expertly camouflaged with altruism.

Clemont tried to gather his thoughts into a rational response, an onerous task when pitted against the clamour. He couldn't do it. He tried to control his confused miscellany of emotions – euphoria, comfort, relief, rejuvenation, but also uncertainty. He tried to sort them, to convince his body to feel one thing at a time but was overwhelmed by the solace of his mind's sudden reversal. Clemont could only grin, wider and wider, happier and happier. Everything he had accepted in the past two weeks vanished as if he'd been trawling through a mirage the whole time.

_Ash is alive!_

"Woah – wait, everyone shut up!" Blue bellowed. The former champion swayed into the middle of the room. Their uproar slowly softened; they settled, agitated, into seats again. Blue stoically faced the monitor. "What are you talking about?"

Jessie groaned, and James flicked his eyes at her, then back. "Exactly what I said. Ash is alive," James said.

Clemont suddenly broke free of his stupor, running as close to the screen as he could, barging Barry aside with the force of a Buffulant's Take Down, who wobbled and then face-planted onto the rug. "How do you know? Is he ok?!"

"Yes, he's fine, Clemont, and he's in Alola, same place as us."

"How do you know?" Paul repeated.

"We saw and talked to him," Jessie bluntly answered. "Aren't you guys enemies or something? Why do you care?"

"Hmph, I could say the same," Paul retorted.

Jessie shrugged, "Yeah, well he's alive so there you go," she said as if it wasn't the biggest revelation of the century, disappearing off-screen.

Their liveliness paused and silence substituted in. But only momentarily; Brock, with tears dangling fresh on his eyelids, climbed into the sliding chair set up in front of the Ketchum's computer and started typing.

Barry whistled, then, and the murmuring resumed. "Hah! This news completely revokes all your bad deeds under Team Rocket! Awesome work, guys and gal!" he shouted, idiotically jumping and cheering. Clemont laughed for the first time since the falsification of Ash's death. A real laugh.

"Settle down, Barry," Gary said, grabbing the blonde's shoulder, but there was a smirk on his lips. "How did you see him, James?" Gary asked forcibly, distrusting.

James didn't so much as blink at the tone. "After stopping a crime here in Alola–"

"Heh, yeah," Meowth huffed, folding his paws pompously.

"Ash came running onto the scene and we talked with him. He didn't seem to know he was publicly reported dead, so there's that. Someone must have said–"

"Oak…" Clemont muttered. He tightened his fists, sucked in a deep breath. But he let it all go. There was no need to be angry anymore. Oak was going away, and Ash was alive. The world had righted itself.

"Probably."

"No, definitely. We've just had him arrested," Clemont explained.

"Ooh, nice work! I'm glad to hear it!" James said. "Anyway, we haven't seen Ash since, but he's definitely here. In fact, we've been staying next to him in the Pokémon Centre for a few weeks now. My advice to you would be to get some tickets out to Alola as soon as possible. We would have called you earlier, but we've been caught up. As a matter of fact, we have to leave shortly for a night-time training exercise. We've become trainees for the Alolan Police Department."

"Woah! Nice work!" Blue said, impressed.

Across the room, Brock grunted, pushing back on his chair, "The next plane out to Alola is in four days."

"Oh, so that's what you're doing… Wait, are ya kidding me?! I'm gonna fine that stupid airport right now!"

"Calm down, Barry," Dawn lightly berated. He slumped back down onto the settee pouting. "I would book them right away, Brock," she urged.

"Who's coming? How many do we need?" Brock asked.

"Me! Definitely!" Clemont shouted.

"Oh, me too!" Bonnie added, then Paul joined, followed by Gary, Dawn, and Blue.

"Actually, everyone, I think it is best if only a few people go," Delia said. She walked over to the computer, requesting if she could take the seat. Brock obliged, stood, and Delia slid into the chair. "I will pay for everything. Now, as much as I would love to go and see Ash right this moment, we have to think rationally. Samuel has just been taken in, so we will likely be called upon as witnesses to give our statements. Therefore, Red and I cannot go, and neither can you, Blue. She will more than likely only require our information if we say everything we know. That just leaves you, kids."

"Alright, I get the gist of it. I'm really sorry, Mrs Ketchum, everyone, but we have to head off now. Just so we know, we will meet you at the Hau'oli Airport in four, well, five days counting the flight out," James said, offering them a light wave.

"Thank you so much!" Delia shouted to them before they could end the call.

"Not a problem, ma'am. We will see you soon," James said, and he ended the call.

"Alright, I think I should go!" Gary shouted.

"Denied, kiddo," Blue swiftly said.

"What?! Why?"

"Delia, Red, and I will be working with Officer Jenny for this case on your Grandfather, so I need you to stay and look after your mother and sister," Blue said, ruffling his hands through Gary's hair.

Gary swatted at Blue's hand, "But Dad, I need to go and see Ash! I'm his first-ever rival, we've been together since we were kids!"

"I get that, Gary, I do," Blue said, "but I think there are some people here who want to see Ash even more than you."

"But I–"

"Gary, please think of it like this," Delia offered, "Brock has been with Ash for years. Through nearly all of his adventures. He and Brock have been together for so long, I assume the lie hit him extremely hard, about as hard as it did me. While I don't doubt how much you care about Ash–"

"Hold on–" Brock tried to interject.

"We're not as close as he and Brock are…" Gary sighed, wiping his eye with his index knuckle. "Yeah, you're right. I know that. In that case, I think Dawn should go too."

"W-What? Why me?" Dawn asked, bashfully.

"Because I've been with you, Paul, and Barry in Sinnoh for a few years now. You always talk about the things Ash taught you, how he helped you out. You even called him every month to keep track. Nobody else did that, except Brock," Gary explained.

"What about Paul and Barry?"

"Nah, I'm good," Paul said, pushing off the wall with his shoulders. "Ash and I were rivals, yeah, but it's enough for me knowing he's still alive. You can pass on my message for him, Dawn: I've gotten stronger, and one day, we'll see who's the best. Thanks in advance."

Dawn nodded her head and looked towards Barry's bafflement. "Hah?! You don't wanna go?! C'mon Paul, we're going to see Ash!" Barry countered Paul's calm response. He turned on the adults, looking ready to plead his case. "Listen, you gotta let me go! I can't wait anymore."

"Barry. Seriously, don't argue," Paul said. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get to see him again soon anyways."

"Aww…" Barry whined, his arms drooping. He straightened and then sighed. "Fine. Yeah, you're right. If anyone should go, I think it should be Brock, Dawn, and Clemont."

"Huh? You think I should go?" Clemont asked, hardly expecting the vote of confidence. He was planning to pledge his attendance next anyway but hearing someone agree beforehand was a surprise.

"Of course! You've gotta smooth things over with him, right? The whole blackmail and misunderstanding."

"I agree," Delia said. "We can look after Bonnie for a while."

"What?! I can't go?!" Bonnie cried, bounding towards Delia.

"I'm afraid not, Bonnie. I would say you can go too, but too many people might alert whoever those men Oak worked with are. Besides, Red has a surprise for you!"

Red smiled lightly and tossed out a Pokéball. From it materialised a black-bodied Pokémon hidden behind pure white wool, two dangles of grey intertwined woollen ropes siding its face.

"Ahh! It's so cute!" Bonnie said, diving for its woolly body.

"This is Wooloo, a Pokémon from the Galar Region. We went there on our travels when we were younger," Delia explained. "Maybe Red and I can introduce you to some new Pokémon whilst the others are out finding Ash."

"Ok! That's fine! Hi Wooloo, I'm Bonnie!" Bonnie said, waving.

"So, three tickets to Alola in four days' time?" Brock asked.

Confirming the information with everyone one more time, Delia started the purchase process.

Meanwhile, Clemont stopped listening. He had four days to prepare himself to see Ash again, to correct the mistake he'd made now that he was devoid of Oak's blackmail. Apprehension already began to build, to gnaw at his nerves. Clemont didn't know what would happen, but this time, like on his approach to confront Oak, he let go of the fears. No matter if he kept them or let them go, Ash's response in four days would still be the same.

Four days.

* * *

"Three days?! I have to wait three days to take on the Grand Trial?!" Ash exasperatedly asked.

"I'm afraid so, Ash," Hala answered, lugging a log of timber over his shoulder. Ash followed as he walked across the plaza. "I have a busy schedule, including a meeting to attend the day after tomorrow with the other Island Kahunas – well, if Nanu can be bothered to attend, hah hah!"

"I was looking forward to it, too…" Ash sighed and picked up a log of timber after Hala. Hala nodded towards him, his straight-lipped expression curving into an appreciative smile.

"Pika…" Pikachu whined.

"In that case, spend the next three days, counting today, polishing your skills as best you can. We battle Friday night. I must admit, you are the challenger I am most keen to face. I've heard great things thus far. I am curious about you," Hala said, and the pair placed down the timber logs.

"Alright, I'll get to it as soon as we finish here!" Ash grinned, lifting another log.

"Thank you, Ash."

By the time all the logs had been moved and the Machoke arrived to haul them to the market, the dim sunrise became another bright day over Melemele.

Ash wiped the sweat from his forehead as he waved off Hala. Jogging down the path, his mind was set on discovering a secluded place to train. Before he could make a plan though, Ash ran into Lillie and Kukui at the bottom of the steps. They both were breathing fairly deeply, Lillie more than Kukui.

"Oh, morning! Ah, I mean, Alola!" Ash corrected, slightly embarrassed he hadn't yet learned their customary greeting.

Kukui, who was stretching his muscly arms, flaunted by his sporty t-shirt, chuckled. He blew out and grinned. "Alola, Ash! What are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to talk with Hala about the Grand Trial, but he's busy so I've gotta wait," Ash explained, grumbling.

"Yeah, the Kahunas are busy people! It's difficult to get 'em at the right time."

"Seems so. What about you two? What are you doing here so early?"

"Oh, well we're out on a morning jog," Kukui explained.

"Really? I wouldn't have thought running was a passion of yours, Lillie. No offence, of course. Yeah, that didn't sound right…" Ash said, awkwardly fumbling his words.

"It's alright, Ash. I'm not offended. You're completely right: it wasn't. But, since I've been staying with the Professor, I've been trying to change. I want to become more confident and capable so – umm, nevermind. Professor Kukui suggested jogging to help relieve any stress I have, so I join him every now and again," Lillie explained, shyly.

"Wow, good on you, Lillie! Do you mind if I join? I'm trying to think of a new place to train before the Grand Trial in three days, so jogging might help me think," Ash said.

"I see. Well, we're heading Route Two way next, so you're welcome to join," Kukui said, and with that, the trio set off down the trail.

After about ten minutes, Lillie tapped Ash's shoulder. "You know," she huffed, "I know a place around Route Two when Nebby wandered off one time. Would you like me to show you?"

"Yeah, thanks! Oooh, I'm so looking forward to this Grand Trial!" Ash shouted, and ran on ahead, leaving Lillie and Kukui smiling behind him.

* * *

About an hour later, Ash was waiting for Lillie along Route Two. She said she didn't want to spend the day without showering, so she went home first. Ash, on the other hand, didn't care so much. He felt good about his morning; he'd had both a good work out and had fun while he did. Now, the only thing on his mind was the Grand Trial.

Ash grew restless waiting. He aimlessly wandered along the route for a few minutes, stopping at a slope he had previously missed. Peering back down the path, and seeing no sign of Lillie, Ash's curiosity led him along the path. A woman walking the other way offered him a small expression that was neither a smile nor a frown; it looked sympathetic. Smiling back, Ash continued, reading the sign placed at the top.

"Hau'oli Cemetary," Ash read. He staggered back from the board. It seemed impossible for a cemetery to exist in Alola; something about Alola's atmosphere made such a thing feel otherworldly. There couldn't possibly be something like that in such a happy place. But that was only a foolish thought. Ash walked on.

It was a small cemetery. Four rows of smooth, bright grey headstones, all different, wrapped together with some trimmed hedges. Vibrant flowers comforted the sides of every grave. Everything was silent or close to it; Ash could hear a light breeze whistle, but even that seemed to quiet down in just that area. He said nothing to interrupt the people already milling around: a young girl and who appeared to be her mother, an elderly man, another man in a suit.

Ash walked across the rows, reading the names of both Pokémon and people. Somehow, it warmed yet saddened him when he saw a Growlithe and a police officer buried together. The act of reading them in itself seemed surreal.

As Ash started to consider his curiosity an intrusion, he froze in front of one beautiful grave with a curved headstone and a wreath of flowers draped over the top. The name on the grave read: "Aina" above "Beloved Mother and Wife". Immediately, Ash made the connection. The name of the café Mallow's family-owned was Aina's Café. Then, Aina had to be related to Mallow, her mother possibly, seeing as he had seen her father in the café's kitchen but never her mother. He couldn't believe it. Mallow always seemed so happy and cheerful, so confident. She certainly was a strong girl if she could act in that way despite the heartache. Ash couldn't imagine losing his mother.

Feeling as if he'd intruded, Ash walked away from the cemetery, catching the name of the grave beside Aina's accidentally: Mohn Aether.

* * *

"Ash! Sorry I made you wait for so long," Lillie said, skipping to his side, holding down her large hat.

"It's no problem. I – did a bit of exploring while you were gone," Ash said, looking away from Lillie. Did she know? "Where did you want to show me?"

Lillie perked up and grabbed the strap of Nebby's bag. "It's very well hidden, so I will have to show you. It's just past Verdant Cavern."

"Lead the way!"

The location Lillie led him to was an open-roofed meadow beyond Verdant Cavern and the craggy clifftop, through an arch of rock hollowed out of the mountainside. Yellow flowers filled the grassy terrain, the buds and tree-leaves rustling in the breeze, petals and leaves blowing into the air. Ash caught a vivid yellow petal in his fingers. Now that peaceful, beautiful sight fitted Alola.

"This is Melemele Meadow," Lillie said, crouching down to pick a petal from a flower. "All of the flowers here are a special kind of flower only found in Alola. They're special because the flowers change colour between yellow, as you see here, purple, red, and pink depending on the island they are grown on. The nectar from each of these flowers allows a Pokémon named Oricorio to change form if they consume it," Lillie happily explained.

"Woah… I'd love to see that!"

"Me too! I have never seen it either since I haven't been to any of the other islands," Lillie said, sadly. "Follow me!"

Ash took everything in as they crossed the whole meadow, stopping at the far wall. As if dug by a Drilbur, a small hole was cut into the foot of the mountain. Immediately, Lillie's bag began to rustle, and Nebby flew out of it, startling the young girl. Without wasting a moment, Nebby fled into the hole, its excited yipping echoing as it disappeared inside.

"Oh no… I should have known this would happen. Nebby always gets excited when I come here because it is one of the only places it can roam freely."

"You mean we're going through there?" Ash asked keenly, getting lower to peek through. There was a cave on the other side.

"Yes, that's right. Umm, Nebby ran through one day, so I went to get him back. I was lucky to find the area, too. It's very secluded and peaceful, so I sometimes come here for some time by myself," Lillie answered.

"I see…" Ash started shimmying through the hole first. "Does that mean you want some alone time now?"

"Not necessarily," Lillie said, shaking her head and patting her knees as she got to her feet whence through. "I – I guess I just want some time to think. I kind of, umm, raised my voice with the others last night…"

_That doesn't sound like Lillie… _Ash thought. _I wonder what happened_. He didn't ask. Bringing it up with her wouldn't be a good idea.

"Are you worried about their reactions?" Ash asked instead.

"Oh, no, nothing like that. A-Actually they all messaged me this morning to apologise for having caused me to have done so… I'm just a bit upset with myself for raising my voice in the first place," Lillie said.

"I think I get what you mean. Shouting at friends can hurt you just as much as it does them. I've done it before, too, as much as I wish I didn't," Ash said, looking up through an exit to the cave. "Woah! This place is beautiful!"

The exit opened out into a deserted cove formed at the base of the cliff, flooded with water from the sea, and sectioned by pathways made of sand sediment. There was even a palm tree in the centre, and some grass too, at the bottom of the cliff.

"This is Kāla'e Bay! Kāla'e is an Alolan word for clear, calm, or unclouded. Professor Kukui said Hala named the bay when the rock crumbled and the cave was re-discovered."

"This is great, thank you for bringing me here Lillie!" Ash grinned, and ran off, wandering around the area, trying to decide where to practice. The most ideal spot was at the cliff base where there was the most amount of space, but it was occupied already by a clan of Bagon. Ash stopped to watch them for a moment and flinched when another Bagon appeared from above and landed on its head like a meteorite.

"What…?" Ash muttered, baffled. Then, Rotom swooped from his bag's outer pocket and flickered to life.

"Bagon – the Rock Head Pokémon. Bagon dreams of one day soaring high in the sky, so it regularly practices by leaping from cliffs. It often uses its impenetrable head to smash rocks-zzt."

"Huh. That makes a bit more sense. Thanks, Rotom." Satisfied with that – Ash was sure he'd heard that before – Ash wandered away from the Bagon and returned to Lillie, who had taken shelter from the increasing heat of the sun under the palm tree. Ash sat down across from her, and Pikachu jumped down to stretch his legs. "Seems like some Bagon are training right now, so I don't wanna interrupt them."

"That's thoughtful of you, Ash," Lillie said, removing her hat, resting it in her lap.

"Nah, not really," Ash shrugged, leaning back on his hands. "I always consider Pokémon just as I would any other person. They're equal to us, if not even better. It's not especially nice, I don't think. It's how we all should be."

"Yes, I agree! I just wish I was able to get along a lot better with Pokémon…" Lillie trailed.

"Well, I said I'd help you. Do you want to start now?"

"R-Really? Yes, ok!" Lillie exclaimed enthusiastically, some iota of determination overtaking her posture that looked cute rather than super serious.

"Pikachu, come over here a second!" Ash called to his partner, and he padded over. "Alright, so, I'm planning to help Lillie with a phobia she has. Would you be willing to let her pet you?"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu cried, and Ash chuckled.

"Yeah, he's fine with it!" Ash said and nudged his partner. "Lillie, do you want to try it?"

"I – I will try."

"Ok. Pikachu, don't move, alright? Just stay still and let Lillie come to you," Ash said, and Pikachu nodded his head, turning to face Lillie.

Lillie slowly approached. Her arms were wobbling and her legs shaking. She kept her expression poised and relatively calm, but her movements depicted how hard it was. Ash could hardly imagine being so scared to be near Pokémon, not since it was second nature to him. There had to be a reason she had developed her fear. It was too insensitive to outright ask, but that didn't quell his curiosity.

When Lillie was a step from Pikachu, Ash spoke up. "Just take your time, alright? There's no need to rush anything. Good jog getting so close!" Ash supported, but then Pikachu jumped up onto Lillie's arm and she retreated, shrieking, and flung Pikachu. He landed into the water, but Ash made no movement to get him out. He slapped a palm to his face.

Instead of picking up Pikachu, Ash worried about Lillie instead. She was crouched on the sand, her legs tucked into her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them, trembling. Even from where he sat, he saw tears brimming her eyes.

"Lillie, are you alright?" Ash asked, cautiously crouching beside her, placing his hand onto her shoulder. Lillie responded with a quiet, cute flick of her voice. "Just take your time. I'll go and kick Pikachu's butt for that," Ash said, feeling relieved when Lillie lightly giggled.

Pikachu flapped his fur dry, then padded up to Ash with his ears drooped forward and his head bowed. "Pika…"

Ash sighed. "Just don't do it again, ok?"

It took a few minutes for Lillie to calm down and relinquish herself from her protective hold.

"Do you want to give it another go?" Ash asked, drawing his hand away from her shoulder.

Lillie nodded her head forwards, slowly, no longer displaying the determination she had at first. "I – Yes, I will," Lillie said, and uncurled fully.

They tried a few more times, but Pikachu's sudden movement seemed to scare Lillie so much she couldn't get anywhere near him again. Once more, Ash apologised for Pikachu's actions and relayed Pikachu's apology, stating his actions were only enthusiastic and not bad-willed.

"I… I don't think we will make any progress now," Lillie said downheartedly, but she was smiling. "Thank you so much for giving it a try, Ash! I really appreciate it. Please bear with me."

Ash grinned. "No worries! Like I said, take as long as you need! I'll help you anytime, ok?"

"Yes, thank you!"

Ash glanced over his shoulder at the cliff face, which was now vacant, the last of the Bagon disappearing into the cave.

"The Bagon are gone now, so I think I'll go and train for a little while. I'll be back in a few!" With a nod and another smile from Lillie, Ash departed to the cliff base to train for the upcoming battle. But now, the Grand Trial wasn't all that was on his mind. He thought about Mallow. He thought about Lillie. It didn't so much distract him, but the thoughts lingered. He wanted to help his new friends however he could.


	18. Chapter 17: Hala's Grand Trial

Chapter 17:

Hala's Grand Trial

The rest of the day was like a light breeze, calm and peaceful. Lillie spent it watching Ash train Pikachu and Rockruff. He had them battle each other, and then battle the Bagon group that reappeared as meteors from the clifftop. To her, somebody who couldn't get near Pokémon, it was incredible to watch how easily he worked with them. How he let Pikachu rest on his shoulder, Rockruff rub his legs with his fur, how he allowed the Bagon to battle all around him, a decision that sometimes forced him to dodge flying Headbutts. She admired it. There was a reason Ash seemed so calm around them, but Lillie had yet to work it out. It wasn't just that he had previously spent a lot of time with them. He made friends with the hard-headed, naturally stubborn Bagon all too easily.

She and Ash left Kāla'e Bay around mid-afternoon – Ash finally exclaimed his hunger after training for so long. They stopped by Mallow's shop for some food, at which the cheerful waitressing-chef was delighted. Mallow didn't bring up the fact that Lillie missed their shopping trip nor the message from the night before, to Lillie's relief.

Bidding their friend adieu when they finished, Lillie followed Ash out onto the street, the golden bells on the door jingling behind her.

"Thanks for showing me that training area today, Lillie! I'll be sure to make the most of it," Ash brightly said just as they were about to part.

"Oh, it's no problem. Thank you for letting me come along," Lillie replied.

"What are friends for, right?" Ash grinned, gesturing over his shoulder. "Well, I'm gonna head back. See you soon!"

"Yes, see you soon, Ash," Lillie said and waved at him as he jogged away. Lillie turned her back on Ash, but she forgot what she had wanted to say all day: thank you. So far, he was the only person to attempt to earnestly help her with her fear. She thought the least she could do was thank him for that, too.

Spinning around, Lillie opened her mouth to call him back, but Ash hadn't moved far. He was stood at an intersection up the road – the one leading into the market – his eyes focused on something. A moment later, he turned away from his route and ran into the market. Curious, but also keen to deliver her message to him, Lillie jogged after him.

Ash was following something; Lillie couldn't see what it was. She followed him, anyway, calling his name trying to catch his attention while she did. They went through the market, down along the riverside and through a forest path; Lillie found it difficult to keep up with Ash's athleticism.

At the end of the path stood what was once a large warehouse but was now a ruin. The copper-coloured gable roof was rust, ripped and torn apart. Moss as luminous as an Energy Ball grabbed the grey walls in the places there weren't any holes or shattered windows; there was even a tree twisting through one of the windows. Lillie saw Ash climb the trunk to get inside because the door was collapsed and littered with rubble.

Lillie jogged to the trunk in pursuit. "Ash!" Lillie called out, peering past a mangled branch and through a hole in the wall. It didn't appear that Ash heard her, but she could hear everything he said as if the room inside were an echoing chamber.

"So, this is where you're living," Ash said, slumping down onto a piece of littered rock. Lillie couldn't see who he was talking to. "I've been wondering since I saw you in the market. Are you the same Litten from the ceremony?"

_A Litten? _Lillie wondered. That was the first she had heard of Ash's connection to such a Pokémon.

"Pika."

"No, huh? Are you a stray?"

"Pikachu!"

"You are…" Ash slowly said, trailing off. He shrugged off his backpack and withdrew something from it. A sparkling red apple. "Here, Litten. You're hungry, right?"

Lillie definitely heard the small Pokémon cry that time. It sounded delighted.

Once again, Pikachu gave a cry and Ash chuckled. "No need to thank us. If there's something I can do to help, I gotta do it! Now more than ever."

As Ash made to give Litten some more delicacies from his backpack and delved into a conversation, Lillie wondered. It was as if Ash understood what Litten was saying. It was as if Pikachu was translating it. But she quickly ignored that thought. What was more important to her was this scene, the unveiling of a side to her new friend that made him seem an even better person than she already thought he was. That selflessness of his was genuine.

"Say, Litten," Ash said, "instead of having to steal from the kind lady at the market – and I know she doesn't mind – but would you like to come with us for a while? We can help you out until you decide what you want to do."

Having heard that proposal, Lillie felt her thanks could wait. She didn't want to interrupt the moment. Stepping away from the gap, she heard Litten cry out once again, and then headed back down the path, towards home. She didn't know if that benevolence was what all Pokémon trainers were like or if it was just Ash, but either way, he was amazing.

* * *

The three-day interlude Ash had to train for Hala's Grand Trial passed, each a day filled with accomplishment and success. Pikachu and Rockruff were in perfect shape. Their moves were polished, their determination fiercer than ever before. The Grand Trial was all that was on their minds in that training time. Ash reserved time for the timid Litten he had accompanying him after their training ended. The small Fire-Type watched the battles curiously but made no effort to approach either of Ash's other Pokémon despite Pikachu's magnetised desire to befriend him. One thing that did interest him, however, was that there were less Bagon there each day.

Other than Pikachu's bruised friendliness from Litten's rejections, they were ready for the trial. Ash called for a brief training session after lunch to warm them up for the battle, and now they were at the steps into Iki Town, peering up at the tiki-light in the night.

"Ash!" Kukui hollered, striding toward him at the top of the steps. "You're finally here!"

"Alola!" Ash said.

"Alola, Ash," Lillie cheerfully said beside Kukui.

"You ready for your Grand Trial? After you told Mallow the other day, she spread the news like a Sweet Scent, so naturally, everyone's here to watch! I can't wait to see what kinda moves you dish out today!" Kukui said.

"Yep, I think I'm ready!" Ash confirmed, punching his palm determinedly.

"After you cleared the first trial so easily, I've been waiting for this! The Melemele Kahuna is strong, cousin!"

"I'm not entirely knowledgeable about the Island Challenge, but even I know clearing the first trial was a great success. If you win today, it will be incredible. Good luck, Ash!" Lillie warmly encouraged, and a loud chime and a rustle from her bag showed Nebby was showing its support also.

"Thanks! Is Hala ready?"

"Hah! Just come see," Kukui said, and he guided Ash up into the plaza.

The stage was set: Hala stood in the centre of the wooden platform exuding calmness and composure via a crossed-arm stance. The whole arena was edged by flaming torches, and, like the festival battles, bystanders Ash had never met stood in a ring around the plaza chatting loudly, clearly awaiting the Grand Trial. Stood to the left of the platform were his friends.

Taking one deep breath, Ash walked towards Hala, whose eyes were already locked onto him, his stern face morphing into a tight grin. "Ash! Welcome!" Hala bellowed, causing a collective hush. The people crowding the stage parted for Ash to walk to the left-hand steps, watching him, then enclosed again, eagerly.

"It's good to be here," Ash said, nodding towards his friends beside him, now joined by Lillie. Litten scampered from his side to the fence, watching from a distance. Ash stepped up onto the stage and shook Hala's large hand.

"Are you prepared?" Hala asked, stepping back into position on the opposite end of the platform. Ash mimicked him, retreating into his position, the bonfire blazing in the dark to his left.

"Of course!"

"Hoho! I thought you would say so! I have been waiting for this!" Hala bellowed. Hala crouched down low, planting his feet sturdier than a Golem. He lifted his left foot first, stamping it like a sumo wrestler. He then did the same with his right, then thrust his arms forwards into a pose. At that, the crowd roared. Ash guessed it was probably a significant gesture. "Allow me to properly greet you as a young adventurer partaking in the Island Challenge. I am Hala, the Kahuna of Melemele Island." Retreating from his stance, Hala's face turned stoic. "Shall we begin the Grand Trial?"

"Let's do it!" Ash shouted. On his shoulder, Pikachu shared his enthusiasm with a loud yell.

"In that case, let the Grand Trial begin!" Hala shouted.

Once more, the crowd yelled cheers and encouragement to either party. Ash heard his friends wishing him good luck the loudest. But when Hala reached into his shawl and withdrew a Pokéball, Ash automatically drowned everything out. He focused on Hala, the spin of the ball as he tossed it. He was ready.

"Come on out, Crabrawler!" Hala bellowed.

Hala's first Pokémon was one Ash had seen before, only briefly. He thought back to that day he saw the Growlithe sidling around some berries. Crabrawler's meaty blue claws were the two large ones he had questioned as berries. Growlithe's caution made more sense now that he scanned the crab's purple body, the sharp glint in its eye. It was definitely a Fighting-Type. In that case, Ash was up to the challenge.

"Rockruff, you're up!" Ash called, tossing his finger to the battlefield. Rockruff jumped up, unfazed by the enemy's threatening appearance. His grin was determined, his stance low and ready, a wolf prowling.

"Oh ho, interesting choice, Ash. Very well! Crabrawler, use Rock Smash!" As Crabrawler jumped in and everyone began cheering – a sound like a whisper to Ash – nobody saw the shadow observing in the trees.

"Alright Rockruff, face it straight on with Tackle!" Rockruff dived in eagerly at his scuttling opponent. "Steel yourself!" Ash added as the distance closed. Crabrawler's fist slammed into Rockruff's Tackle, the obvious type-advantage overpowering the Rock Type. But Rockruff didn't move far. Having tensed his body on Ash's command, he absorbed the blow like a mini Endure, stabbing his paws into the wood. He only skidded a few feet. Ash grinned. "Use your agility and dive in with Thunder Fang!"

Rockruff's teeth sparked and he latched onto Crabrawler's left fist, delivering the current across his purple-shelled body. "Ingenious… Crabrawler, toss him away with Power-Up Punch!" Crabrawler drew in the fist Rockruff had in a vice, charged it with a red glow, and thrust it upwards, it's speed and power launching the small dog into the air. "Now, Pursuit!" Crabrawler jumped impossibly on its tiny legs, reaching Rockruff rapidly. Crabrawler reared back his dominant fist, glowing a dark purple that time.

"Sand Attack!" Ash briskly reacted. Rockruff swiped a paw across his small, tumbling body, only a few granules spraying into Crabrawler's eyes. It clamped its eyes but unleashed the attack, anyway, scraping Rockruff's side so that he tumbled into a corkscrew. "Alright, you got this! Balance yourself then charge with Tackle before Crabrawler recovers!" Ash saw the opportunity perfectly: Crabrawler couldn't move in mid-air, his eyes were blocked so any quick counter wouldn't work.

Ash's analysis was correct. Rockruff landed, pushed off, and slammed into Crabrawler with Tackle, knocking his across the area before he could react.

"Excellent!" Hala commented, guffawing. Crabrawler climbed to its feet and wiped the excess sand from its eyes. Then, as if it were a natural move, it began punching its fists like a cocky boxer, taunting. "In that case, use multiple Power-Up Punches in front of you to increase your attack!" Hala commanded, staring directly at Ash. Crabrawler listened, and the incessant swishing fists slowed to red, powerful blows to the air. Each time, a red aura engulfed Crabrawler's body too, in the aftermath of a punch. His attack was increasing.

Immediately, Ash knew they couldn't be hit. Maybe they could shoulder one, two hopefully. A third would almost definitely end it. But they couldn't stop it from a distance. "Rockruff, run in there!" Ash shouted. It was risky, but he had a plan already. "Rockruff, ready Bite!" He judged the distance. He squinted, needing to get it perfect. Just as another of Crabrawler's punches ricocheted, Ash yelled, "Jump and grab its antenna, then twist and slam it into the ground!"

It was a swift movement. Crabrawler's fist reached out again but the red aura didn't come. His attack was maxed. As Crabrawler hit the maximum of its reach, almost skimming Rockruff's nose, Rockruff leapt up and caught his antenna between his fanged jaw. A quick but powerful twist of his body pulled Crabrawler over his shoulder. Rockruff released him on his descent, and Crabrawler clattered into the wood.

Fully immersed in the battle and knowing Hala wasn't done yet, Ash called for Rockruff to toss him again. But the second time, as Rockruff twisted and released, Crabrawler gyrated easily and landed on its legs. Then, it scuttled back to Hala's side as smoothly as a Surskit on ice.

"No way!" Ash breathed, not out of disbelief but awe. It was an amazing movement. The Crabrawler was no novice.

"You are just as excellent as I pegged you, Ash. The way in which you use your moves is so innovative! Keep it up! Crabrawler, Bubble Beam!"

"What?!" Ash cried, in disbelief this time. The unexpected stream of bubbles travelled rapidly. Luckily, Rockruff was able to dodge most of them himself. A few scraped his legs and tail, dampening his fur. "Who knew he has a Water-Type move!"

"Again!"

"It won't work twice! Rockruff, run at it with Thunder Fang!"

"Ho! Now, charge forwards and use Rock Smash!" Through the blur of the bubbles popping against Rockruff's electrified fangs, Crabrawler emerged, rearing its fist. It swung its padded claw in a round-punch, heavily hitting into Rockruff's side, the boosted attack dealing critical damage. "Follow it and use Power-Up Punch!" Rockruff slid side-on across the surface; Crabrawler was on him the moment he stopped. Crabrawler reared his claw and it shone red once more.

"Catch it with Thunder Fang!"

"What?!" Hala bellowed in awe as the small dog's jaw lit and then snagged the hammering fist. He stopped it dead, even if the downwards force nearly squashed Rockruff into the stage, splintering the wood. The electricity sparked across Crabrawler's body, wounding him.

"Release it and kick him away!" Using Crabrawler's fist to balance, Rockruff jumped off of his feet and kicked his hind legs into Crabrawler's chest. He released his jaw simultaneously and flipped onto his paws. They were shaky, the scrapes on his body an indicator of his state. "Alright, Sand Attack and follow up with Tackle!"

Rockruff charged once more. "Use Bubble Beam, then ready Power-Up Punch!"

"Rockruff dod–" Ash stopped himself from giving the command. Rockruff didn't seem to want to stop. He charged determinedly at the bubbles. The wave of sand and the bubbles almost cancelled one another out, and Rockruff charged through the dust. He was hit by the remnants of the bubbles but slammed Crabrawler in the chest, nonetheless, knocking him backwards. Crabrawler staggered on his feet, but his fist was charged. He punched across his chest, hitting Rockruff just after the Tackle.

"Rockruff!" Ash called, watching his body tumble then slump. At the same time, Crabrawler collapsed backwards. Everything paused, then the referee spoke.

"It's a draw! Both Rockruff and Crabrawler are unable to battle! That means both parties have one Pokémon remaining!"

Ash re-tuned to the screaming crowd and heard the applause. Indeed, it was an excellent battle. "That was awesome, Rockruff! You were amazing!" Ash lifted the small pup into his arms and handed him off to Mallow, who was the closest to the stage. "Just watch; your efforts are gonna be rewarded!"

Hala crouched down beside Crabrawler. "You did excellently, Crabrawler. Take a well-deserved rest."

"I must say, Ash," Hala said as the young trainer resumed his position, "I haven't had a battle this exciting in a while. That is no insult to any other trainers, you are merely making this incredible for me."

"I agree! I've had loads of battles throughout my journey, but I won't forget this one!" Ash agreed truthfully. He was having so much fun, so much that he felt reborn.

"Let's make this second bout just as good! Hariyama, it's your turn!" The hulking sumo Pokémon emerged from its ball, sending quakes through the stage with its landing.

"I agree! Pikachu, let's win this!" Ash called, extending his arm as he always did. Pikachu ran down his arm and leapt off, landing on all fours before Hariyama, his pouches sparking.

Since the start of the battle, Ash hadn't heard much of the crowd's cheering except his friends in his ear beside him. But, when the elated tone intertwined with surprise, he picked up on it. From what he overheard the crowd were shocked Hala sent out Hariyama. But Ash didn't focus on it. He ignored everything and focused on Hala. As he did, everything silenced again. All he heard was his thoughts and Pikachu as if they were synched.

Ash wasn't going to wait for Hala to begin. He had a significant speed advantage. "Alright Pikachu, use Quick Attack to get in close!" Pikachu dashed right in, the white trail of his speed flickering behind him. Pikachu closed in within a second, and Hariyama lunged.

"Arm Thrust!"

As Ash predicted, Hariyama's attack was extremely laboured when facing Pikachu. His palm was not even close to touching his partner. Before it's shadow even covered him, Pikachu zipped to the side and began encircling Hariyama, knocking into him like pellets, dealing small bursts damage. Hariyama attacked two more times, each missing the mark completely.

"Use your forth attack towards Tapu Koko's shrine and your fifth one-hundred-and-eighty degrees!" Hariyama obeyed Hala. The fourth Arm Thrust was completely off, but Ash knew before he fired it that the final one was going to hit. Hala had judged it so quickly; Pikachu lapped Hariyama one and a half times before he threw another attack. Purposely misdirecting the fourth righted his position to hit the fifth.

"Pikachu, ready Iron Tail in front of you!" Ash quickly called. Pikachu's reaction was immediate, and the Arm Thrust hit his steeled tail. Pikachu was knocked away, but he luckily negated the damage. "Spin and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called through a grin, and Pikachu did.

"Force Palm!" Hala called, gesturing the way he wanted it to be done: one palm raised in front of the body. Hariyama did exactly as Hala did. He raised one palm, using it as a lightning rod for the Thunderbolt. Pikachu's power forced Hariyama's huge frame to slide back a few steps, but he protected his body from the attack. When Hariyama dropped its palm, it was smoking.

"Pikachu Quick Attack again!" Ash called. He had used three moves: Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, and Iron Tail. Hariyama's body was sturdy, and his huge hands could block Thunderbolt from a far enough distance. His final move had to be something powerful, he couldn't waste the final slot. Volt Tackle would probably be his best bet.

"Hariyama, Whirlwind!" Hala commanded. Affirming his stance, Hariyama spun it's two pad-hands around and around, generating a G-force wind. He slammed his palms together, sending it directly at Pikachu. It caught his tiny body and tossed him effortlessly into the air, taking control of his body easily, spinning him into inevitable dizziness.

Ash wasn't expecting something like that. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt again!" Ash called, but the result he planned for didn't happen. While the Thunderbolt flew at Hariyama, who raised his second palm to block it this time – an action that shielded Pikachu from Hala's view – sparks of the Thunderbolt rode the wind, creating a thunderstorm. It disappeared quickly, but now Ash had a plan.

Hariyama blocked Thunderbolt again and dropped its palms. Ash didn't wait until Pikachu touched down. "Charge in again with Quick Attack!"

"It won't work, Ash!" Hala called. "Whirlwind! Then, charge in with Arm Thrust!" Again, Hariyama started rotating his arms in circles.

"Now! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Still running forwards, Pikachu's body sparked ferociously. He fired the large bolt directly at Hariyama's exposed body. Hariyama quickly turned its palms outwards to block, but the wind from Whirlwind remained spinning around his limbs. As it did before, the electricity rode the wind as in a storm. It streaked all over Hariyama's body, electrifying him. That was exactly what Ash was going for.

Hala gasped on his side of the battlefield. "Amazing…"

It took Hariyama a few moments to recover from his attack, but Pikachu was already moving.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail repeatedly!"

"Arm Thrust!"

It appeared that the electric blast weakened Hariyama. Pikachu was able to repel his huge palm-thrusts despite the type advantage against Iron Tail and his size. They were equally matched. Pikachu slashed with his tail, bounding side to side, and Hariyama, poised in one position, pumped his hands in and out as quickly as he could. It was almost a standstill. The way Pikachu twisted and jumped away from Hariyama's attacks, only allowing his tail to be hit. The way Hariyama used even his fingers to repel attacks. It was a spectacle.

"Pikachu, you're in close! Thunderbolt!" Blocking one final thrust, Pikachu unleashed the powerful special attack directly into Hariyama's body. The damage made Hariyama stagger, but his sturdy body still did not fall. Ash recalled Pikachu, then stood poised, ready to end it.

"I cannot express my enjoyment over this battle, Ash. Truly, it is exceptional," Hala said and reached to his wrist. There, just like on Ash's wrist, was a Z-Ring.

Hala touched the ring lightly, and a wave of energy shot from it like a geyser, flying into Hariyama, covering him with a yellow glow. Ash felt the energy, the power, from where he stood. Then, Hala moved. He squared his hips low, like saddling a horse, and swung his arms upwards. Then, he began punching. Right, then left, right, then left. As he did, so did Hariyama, and the powerful energy aura began to glow brighter. Hala's punching speed quickened, until he stopped with one final punch, calling one thing.

"Hariyama, All-Out Pummeling!"

_A Z-Move!_ Ash thought, awed. This was the first one he was going to see. He watched as Hariyama began punching again, and then golden fists began flying at Pikachu as if Hariyama's hands were detaching. Ash hadn't seen the Z-Move before, but it wasn't dissimilar to Arm Thrust. He could do this.

"Pikachu, zig-zag with Quick Attack! Keep your distance!"

"Pikachu!" his partner bellowed and bolted. He dashed sideways to dodge the first fist, then used exceptional agility to avoid the second. The barrage progressed: Pikachu side-stepped one, span around another. He dodged side to side as best he could, but they were coming much too fast and only speeding up. He started getting scraped by the blows, but not knocked off his feet. Ash knew each connection hurt. He felt that it did. "Keep it up! We're almost there!"

Pikachu dodged and dodged and dodged the fists and palms hurdling towards him. He skipped one and was knocked sideways by another, but that hit allowed him to dodge another. The final few made direct contact.

Pikachu stopped moving when the barrage ended, panting. Ash opened his mouth to praise him, but he saw it. Hariyama's palm pulled back, charged with a Z-Move glow. When he thrust it forward, a huge palm was thrown at Pikachu. It was rocket fast, too fast, too large to dodge. It slammed directly into Pikachu's left shoulder for the first time in the fight, knocking him flying across the stage. At that moment, Ash realised the epic but frightening nature of Z-Moves.

"Pikachu!" Ash called in worry, but he didn't know why. He trusted Pikachu, he felt his determination. It was still hard to see him injured.

Pikachu's small body stilled for a few seconds after the assault, and everyone in the crowd leaned forward. Slowly, Pikachu rose. He pushed hard on the stage, his paws wobbling. Ash knew he would rise; Pikachu had experienced such a struggle many times before. He felt that he would. When Pikachu climbed onto his paws once more, panting and bruised, clutching his left shoulder, one of his eyes shut to bear the pain, the crowd roared.

"Unbelievable tenacity…" Hala commented once more, under his breath.

"Let's do this, Pikachu! Quick Attack!"

Pikachu yelled a war cry and darted in like a bolt of lightning, his wounds not stopping him. He enclosed on Hariyama, who already had its right palm pulled back again. "Force Palm!" Ash heard Hala say, but he smirked.

"Pikachu, dart right and then use Volt Tackle!" Ash yelled out. He knew Volt Tackle came with recoil, but he trusted Pikachu could handle it. His determination would be the factor that kept him up.

Hala's eyes became astonished when Pikachu made two instantaneous right angles. The first allowed him to dodge the fatal Force Palm. On the second, his body became engulfed in lightning, streaking behind him to the other end of the stage. Pikachu leapt powerfully up into Hariyama's chest and sent the mountainous sumo flying, electricity all over his body.

Pikachu flipped once and dispersed the lightning. He landed on all fours, staggered because of the recoil, but remained on his feet. Ash was right: he survived.

Hariyama, on the other hand, crashed into the stage, which quaked under his bulky weight. A few seconds passed, and Ash heard the beautiful words. "Hariyama has fainted! That means the winner is Ash and Pikachu, the challengers!"

And the arena erupted. The crowd was as loud as the ones he witnessed at any Pokémon League; his friends' screams the loudest of all. Rockruff, elated, leapt back onto the stage and into Ash's arms. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw the Litten right at the front of the crowd, its golden eyes shimmering with admiration. Louder even than Kiawe screaming brotherly pride, Hala's claps thundered.

"Ash, that was a magnificent battle! I thoroughly enjoyed it, myself, and I hope you did too! Overcoming Hariyama's Z-Move was near-impossible! I commend your battling ability!" Hala sounded overjoyed in his praise.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, just like in his battle with Hau, Tapu Koko's hoot echoed over every other sound. Hala, with an astonished face, grinned.

"It seems as though Tapu Koko agrees!"

Ash grinned too. He reached out a hand to Hala, who shook it gladly. "I can see why you're a Kahuna. Your tactics were amazing, the understanding between you and your Pokémon was the best! One day, I'd like to battle you again!"

"I completely agree," Hala said. "Now then, as the victor of this Grand Trial, I award you, Ash–"

"Ketchum," Ash informed after a moment's confusion. He forgot to tell everyone his surname.

"Ketchum?!" Hala coughed. "I award you, Ash Ketchum, with the Fightinium-Z, a Z-Crystal enabling you to perform the Fighting-Type Z-Move All-Out Pummeling. This is the token of your victory here today."

"Thank you, Hala!" Ash said, joyously taking the Z-Crystal from Hala. The next thing Ash knew, Kiawe was shaking his shoulders and screaming in his ear, Hau was yelling about a party, and Mallow was clutching his arm in untameable joy.

At that moment, Ash was wholeheartedly happy again. The beginning of his new journey was completed. Ash couldn't wait for what was to come.


	19. Chapter 18: Tapu Koko

Chapter 18:

Tapu Koko

Following Ash's victory and Hala demonstrating the Z-Move, all of his friends, Kukui, and Hala headed to the cove fronting Kukui's house for a celebration. Everybody congratulated Ash with full vigour, cheering whole-heartedly under the dim light. They split into groups soon after, nibbling and sipping on refreshments. Mallow and Lillie, a giggling and smiling duo, sat beside the shore chatting; Sophocles, Hala, and Kukui delved into a discussion about Pokémon, and the group's Pokémon themselves were playing together.

Ash took a moment to study everybody's Pokémon. He tried to guess whose Pokémon were whose. He knew Hau's already; Rowlet. The Fire-Types – Turtonator and Salazzle as dubbed by Rotom, an Alolan variant Marowak which was evident to see, and Magmortar and Camerupt – were obviously Kiawe's, was his attire and constant glorification of a volcano any indication. Ash then guessed the Leafeon and the little Grass-Type called Bounsweet were Mallow's, and Popplio and the familiar-looking Clauncher were Lana's. Given the glares exchanged between Rockruff and Clauncher in secret, behind each other's backs, it was definitely the Clauncher he had battled.

Turning away from the Pokémon, Ash noticed the unoccupied member of the group immediately approaching.

"Ash," Kiawe said, posing with hands-on-hips, grinning, resolute, "I hereby consider you my rival!"

"Wait, what?"

"Is it not obvious?! I was moved by your battle with Hala, so much so that I want to be a rival of yours. You even bested his strongest Pokémon, a feat which many have never accomplished! Surely a trainer of your calibre will enable me to improve by competing against you."

"Oh, in that case, sure thing! Let's do it! I'd be glad to have you as a rival," Ash said, reaching out a hand to Kiawe. Kiawe grappled it with his rough hand, over-zealously shaking it up and down.

"Ooooh, I want in!" Hau yelled, jumping up and down beside them, in a way that reminded Ash of a child, of Bonnie. That was the first time in days he had thought of any of his old friends. He felt his heart twang, but it wasn't depressive. Thinking of them was an internal, unseeable scar that ached sometimes, like the spot of a previously broken bone. Sometimes it hurt when overtaxed. But it did not hinder him. Ash felt he had grown in that aspect. "I've beaten the first Trial. All I've got is the Grand Trial and I'm at the same stage as you, Ash! What's say we all become rivals?!" Hau suggested.

"Hah, I like the sound of that!" Kiawe said, enthused. "Alright then, Ash, Hau, I look forward to our battles! Let's see who becomes the strongest!" Kiawe reached his hand out. In turn, they shook hands, solidifying their pact.

"That's fine, but," Lana said from the side, approaching cross-armed, "what if I wanted to be Ash's rival?"

"Eh? Oh – well, you see Lana – what it is – we've already made a pact so…" Kiawe mumbled awkwardly.

"What, I can't? Is it because I'm a girl?"

"No, no, no, no, no! Not at all! It's just, umm, we're all completely committed to training, and you have other commitments such as fishing, and based on our whole-hearted determination – ah and that's not to say you yourself are not determined–" Kiawe rambled, but Lana only started laughing.

"I'm joking," she said, mockingly laughing at Kiawe, something Ash and Hau joined in on. Kiawe's face was quickly painted with an abashed glow.

Mallow called to them from across the beach in a frustrated tone, "Enough about all that! We're here to celebrate, so leave it for now!" She jumped to her feet and skipped over, pulling Ash's hand with hers. Ash was startled as she guided him to the shoreline and into a seat, but he happily didn't resist. "Lillie and I were just talking about what we're going to do next."

The others gathered around too, encircling a section of the beach between their friendly gathering. "In that case, you're heading over to Akala, right, Ash?" Hau asked immediately.

"If that's the next Island in the Island Challenge, then of course. I can't wait to see more of Alola!" Ash answered enthusiastically. "If I've learned anything throughout my time as a trainer, it's that there are always more Pokémon to meet, new people to battle. Who knows what's waiting out there for me?"

"Well, Kiawe lives on Akala so–"

"I'm sure that's not what he means, Hau," Lana said exasperatedly.

"Oooh, that's lucky! Kiawe, Lana, and I will be coming too, then," Mallow said. "We're all heading over to Akala to start training as Trial Captains. I'll be training as the Grass Trial Captain, Kiawe will go to Wela Volcano to be the Fire Captain, and Lana will be the Water one. It's only for training right now, though. It's temporary."

"That's a perfect opportunity," Ash said. "I'll get to see what types of trainers you are when I challenge the trials. I'll look forward to it!"

"By the grace of Wela Volcano, I promise to give you an exceptional battle as our first as rivals, Ash!" Kiawe said heatedly, his hair almost steaming.

Ash turned to Lillie, Hau, and Sophocles. "What about you three? Are you coming to Akala?"

"Unfortunately, no," Sophocles said. "I'm heading on over to Ula'Ula Island to meet up with Big Mo, my cousin, to take over his post as a Trial Captain over there."

Hau groaned audibly. "Aww, man! I was hopin' we'd all be able to meet up on Akala after I beat my Gramps' Grand Trial! I'll be staying here until then, but it sucks we won't all be there."

"How about we all meet up when you make it over to Ula'Ula, then? By the time it will take you guys to complete the Trials and Grand Trial on Akala, we should be done with our temp-positions," Lana suggested.

"You got it!" Hau shouted, punching the air.

"Lillie, what are you going to do?" Ash asked the quiet girl. She looked up from her lap quickly, as if she had been pondering.

"Oh, umm, I think I will come along to Akala. It seems that Nebby wants to visit the shrines for the Tapu, hence the reason we met, Ash. There is one on every Island, and since the bridge is destroyed here, that is the next stop," Lillie explained. "And I – I enjoy being around everyone…" she added, glancing timidly back at her lap.

"Aww, I love spending time with everyone too!" Mallow added.

Ash admitted that he agreed, to himself and aloud. Throughout all of his previous adventures, he had mostly travelled as a trio and sometimes a duo. Being surrounded by six other friends was an entirely new experience. He loved it; everybody's personalities were different, and they each had their separate interests. He was never bored when with them. He wished they could stay that way. What happened before couldn't happen again.

"In that case, you wanna all borrow my boat to get across to Akala?" Kukui called from across the beach. "It'd take all day tomorrow to get it ready to sail, but if ya work hard enough, you should be sorted. I'll even chaperone."

"No way! Thanks, Kukui!" Hau yelled. "Aww man, sailing the ocean at high-speeds on a boat with my friends! Nothing could compare!"

With that statement and his past experience, Ash wholeheartedly agreed.

For the remainder of their celebration, the group delved into chatter about random things while, across the beach, Kukui watched, grinning. Hala approached him from the side.

"You're enjoying watching them, are you?" Hala asked.

"Of course! I've never seen Lillie so happy. It's as if Ash has brought a Sunny Day down on everyone. They're electrified," Kukui answered in a fatherly manner.

"Indeed, he seems to be the perfect person to help the poor girl," Hala said softly. He turned his eye to Kukui, serious. "Coincidentally, I have a request concerning Ash."

"Yeah? Hit me with it like a Mach Punch!"

"Would you conduct a search on him? I know it sounds like an invasion of privacy, but he told me his surname earlier and it is familiar to me for some reason. His full name is Ash Ketchum."

"Ash Ketchum… Ketchum… Yeah, that's familiar to me too. Are you sure you wanna search him up, Hala?"

"I have been toying with it a lot, but yes. Who is Ash Ketchum? Why does he seem familiar? I do not want you to look for personal details, only public records of him. If it is public information, I do not feel bad for looking at it."

"You've got a point," Kukui said. "Sure, I'll get on it."

"Thank you, Professor," Hala said, and they fell back into silence, both watching the foreign trainer that had shaken Melemele.

* * *

By about one o'clock, the party's festivities diminished, and people began giving their goodnights. Ash, Mallow, Lillie and Kukui were the last on the beach. Bidding the latter pair farewell, Ash and Mallow started up the hill towards Hau'oli. As they walked, the nightly beachfront breeze coated them. The Pikipek in the trees were tweeting serenely, a Hoothoot hooting somewhere between.

Mallow skipped along beside Ash, who was sneaking glances at her. Now that the excitement of the Grand Trial was gone, everything else returned to him, including his discovery in Hau'oli Cemetary. As soon as he was alone with her, the thought hounded him. He did not want to dampen her mood, but he couldn't help wondering if she was ok.

"Hey, umm, Mallow?" Ash asked carefully.

"Hmm?" Mallow asked, flicking her head from the bushes to him, her hair swishing like a Vine Whip.

"I don't mean to pry but – uhh – I was wandering around the other day and found the Hau'oli Cemetery." Ash saw Mallow's grin soften, as if melancholic. "I – I saw one of the graves had the name Aina on it. Given the words, the dates, and the name of your family's café, I guessed that she's a relation of yours… Is she your mother?" Ash asked.

"Yes, she was," Mallow said, her cheerfulness not fading at all, something that eased Ash's conscience. "She died when I was young: she fell sick with an illness."

"I'm sorry, Mallow. It's insensitive to ask so randomly. But – are you ok?"

"Oh, no, it's completely fine to ask. I love talking about her. She was an amazing mother and woman. And yes, I'm ok. It happened a long time ago, but I remember her every day." Mallow flashed Ash a smile like a Sylveon's, her cheeks slightly pink. "Thank you, Ash," Mallow answered, teetering nearer to him.

"That's nothing to thank me for. It's only courtesy to ask, right?"

Mallow shook her head. "No, not really. A lot of people give their condolences, but then they say that I'm a strong young girl for how I act now that she's gone. It's as if they expect me to be weak and crying all of the time. There are not a lot of people that actually ask if I'm ok. They just assume I am because I'm always happy. It–" Mallow stopped walking, glancing at the forestry around them, cradling her arms across her midriff. Ash stopped too, looking at her over his shoulder. There was something nervous about her stance and the way her cheeks were growing rosy. "It shows that you care about me," Mallow said after the pause, looking Ash straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I do," Ash gently confirmed.

"Thank you," Mallow breathed with deep sincerity and skipped off ahead once again. Ash's heart flickered. Something about Mallow's whispery voice affected him. Shaking off the feeling, Ash caught up with Mallow and they crested the hill side-by-side. But when they peaked over the brow, they stopped moving altogether. Their expressions flared into shock.

Tapu Koko stood before them, floating over the ground, bobbing. Neither of the two moved or spoke. It was such a sudden occurrence; Ash's didn't have a response. Then, Tapu Koko moved. It zipped at Ash – who flinched – stopping directly in front of him, scanning him over with his eyes. Vanishing like a Phantom Force, he re-appeared behind Ash, then on either side and above, scanning him all over. Tapu Koko returned to the front, side-on, and nodded only once. Tapu Koko flicked his hand towards itself like a cocky trainer and began floating between the trees, beckoning Ash. Ash glanced at Mallow and she at him. As if they communicated with their eyes, they started after Tapu Koko.

They veered off the pathway into the forest. Leaping effortlessly over fallen logs, weaving between the trees, Ash chased after Tapu Koko, leaving an awe-eyed Mallow to fall slightly behind. They stopped running in a bare clearing, wherein Tapu Koko waited, bounding, his sharp eyes flicking between Ash and Pikachu.

"Tapu Koko," Ash called out, "thank you. For saving us that day on the bridge. I haven't had the chance to say it yet." Tapu Koko made no indication that it heard Ash. He kept staring curiously. "Uhh… What's going on? Why did you bring us out here?" That time, he moved. Tapu Koko straightened its body and extended its arms out wide. An electric current like ripples in water discharged from its black body, leaving the surrounding area tinted yellow and sparking. It looked like a lake of lightning. Mallow arrived just in time to see it generate.

Ash identified it as Electric Terrain. Clemont's Luxray had used it during their Gym Battle, so his knowledge of it was stored in a beloved memory. Or what was once a beloved memory. But it was enough for Ash to quickly deduce what Tapu Koko was looking for: a battle. It seemed completely random, but Ash was ready. Pikachu leapt down onto the field immediately.

"Let's do this!" Ash said.

"Pika!"

The moment Pikachu's small paws touched the ground, Tapu Koko moved. He was undoubtedly fast. He was in front of Pikachu in milliseconds, his nearest shield glowing silver. But Pikachu wasn't a slouch.

"Iron Tail!" Ash called, and Pikachu spun, countering the obvious Steel Wing. But, due to his opponent's rare speed advantage, Pikachu's movements were somewhat flighty. The moves clanged like swords colliding. Both parties retreated instantly. "Alright, Volt Tackle! Hit it as hard as you can!" Ash called out.

Bellowing and charging, Pikachu slammed into Tapu Koko, but the diety was quick, shutting itself inside its shields just in time. Pikachu bounced back off the titanium wood. The recoil was small, so Pikachu was able to right himself in the air, preparing Iron Tail before Ash made his next call.

"Use Iron Tail like a Double Slap!" Ash called, desiring to pry them apart forcefully. Pikachu hit the left side of Tapu Koko's shield first, then gyrated and hit the right side. He repeated the attack twice, each time weakening the diety's guard until one shield bounced to the side, creating his opening. "Thunderbolt!" Pikachu charged the move, but Tapu Koko was in first, blasting him back with a powerful Discharge. Then, Tapu Koko blinded Pikachu with a Dazzling Gleam, swooping back in with another Steel Wing. His movements were precise, accurate, expertly. There were no flaws.

"Pikachu, use the shield as a platform and jump!" Ash called. The only way to best Tapu Koko's shield without forcing it open was to get behind him. Amidst the bright glow, Pikachu leapt just above the Steel Wing, then bounded up and behind Tapu Koko. "Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted again. This time, a chunk of the large electricity blast bypassed Tapu Koko's shield, striking it in the back, but the diety repelled most of it by dragging his left shield across in time. Like a swung of a club, Tapu Koko lashed out with his other shield and knocked Pikachu away.

As Pikachu landed and Ash was about to command another move, he paused. Around Pikachu, there seemed to be some sort of energy, something similar to the Z-Move Hala used. Noticing it also, Tapu Koko sped in close to Ash. Ash leaned back out of surprise, but Tapu Koko only reached over and tapped on Ash's Z-Crystal and retreated again. The same light that surrounded Pikachu shone from the gem with a Pikachu tail on it, and suddenly, Ash knew what was happening. Tapu Koko wanted him to use a Z-Move.

_Aren't I supposed to do some sort of routine before I can use it? _Ash wondered, glancing up at Pikachu. For some reason, it looked as if Pikachu knew what to do.

"Ash, use Volt Tackle-zzt," Ash heard from his ear. It was Rotom. "That Z-Crystal you have is the Pikanium-Z, for a Pikachu's Volt Tackle-zzt. It transforms it into a Move known as Catastropika – Kukui named that one since it is more recent. The movement should be natural for Pikachu-zzt."

"Uhh, sure…" Ash said, unconvinced. "Alright then. Pikachu, use Catastropika!" Ash called out, and Pikachu leapt into motion.

Pikachu jumped as high as he could and began spinning. As he did, the electrical charge of a Volt Tackle exploded from his body ten-fold, then collapsed in on itself, forming a ball around Pikachu's body. Impossibly, Pikachu remained poised in mid-air as he charged up the electricity. The ball only increased in size as the seconds passed. Then, Pikachu pushed off as if kicking the air and darted down at Tapu Koko in a stream of yellow. The explosion upon collision was gigantic, larger even than that one Electro Ball Pikachu had used in Unova. The entire glade they were in was engulfed in a bolt of lightning reaching into the clouds, little streaks of it sparking off sideways. Ash felt himself being blown backwards.

The discharge lasted a couple of long seconds. By the time it died down, Pikachu was on the ground again and Tapu Koko was engulfed in a bright light mixed with smoke and dust. When the dust faded, it unveiled a large crater in the ground and a couple of fallen trees. Tapu Koko was floating in the centre, its shields charred and its body scratched. The move had at least done some damage, but the diety looked unfazed. Ash, Pikachu, and Mallow, on the other hand, stared in shock at the damage the Z-Move created. It was phenomenal. Amidst the surprise, Ash saw Tapu Koko raise a gesture that looked to be of approval, he heard the bird bellow, and Tapu Koko dashed away into the forest, as if never there.

"Ok," Ash asked, "what just happened?"

"I don't know," Mallow slowly muttered, evidently as perplexed by the situation as Ash was. "But – I've never seen Tapu Koko before."

"Yeah. So, wait, it turns up, challenges me to a battle, and then disappears? Has that ever happened before?" Ash asked, crouching to let Pikachu labourously pad onto his shoulder again. After two tough battles, it was only natural he was tired.

"Not that I know of," Mallow answered.

Ash sighed. There was a lot about Alola he did not understand. At least he had unleashed his very first Z-Move. Now, he had an idea of what they felt like. It was an unbelievable surge of power, something that he felt he had shared with Pikachu. It wasn't quite like Greninja, but he felt something.

"Well, it's pretty late. We – uhh – we should get back," Ash reminded Mallow.

"Yeah, let's go," she agreed, and was the first to scurry back through the trees. "I just don't get it, though. I've learned that Z-Moves require some movements to be performed beforehand. But you didn't use one…"

"Hmm, yeah, I did think that was strange," Ash said, but he shrugged. Ash decided he had best ask Hala about it. There had to be a reason.

When they returned to the city, Mallow gave her farewell and walked her way. Ash ambled back. He spent the long walk thinking. Tapu Koko would not have battled him randomly like that without a reason. There had to be one. Fixing that as a vague justification, Ash then turned his focus to pondering what Akala would be like. That was all he thought about before he went to sleep.

That night, however, he awoke in a rush of panic. For the first time in days, he had that dream again. The dream that replayed his memories. It did not paralyse him as it had the first time, but it jarred his thoughts a little bit. It was a Sucker Punch in the night: it came out of nowhere. Ash paced a little bit to calm himself down afterwards, but it took a long while to settle once again, even longer to return to sleep. Luckily, he did not dream it again.

* * *

By the next evening, Ash was boarding Kukui's boat with his friends. The day had been spent giving farewells to people – the kind lady at the stalls, Hala, Sophocles, Hau, and Ilima, and Team Rocket, who had been happy for his win but then suddenly insistent that he stay on Melemele a little bit longer. They didn't specify why, but he had decided to go with his new friends despite agreeing to pacify their nagging – he only did that so he could escape.

During their conversation – after all the nagging – Jessie and James had told him they had nearly completed their training course. All they had to do was catch a Growlithe, and James was getting his transported from home. Ash gave Jessie a pointer to search Route Two.

Leaving them in a very civil relationship, Ash had headed to the dock to help fix up the boat. It was a small sailing yacht with one large sail and a wooden deck, with iron railings blocking off the sides. He and his friends had spent the afternoon scrubbing down the grime by hand and loading on a bunch of Kukui's supplies, even fighting with sponges for a brief period. A war in which Kiawe was forced to submit to defeat at Lana's fiery hands. Ash had never seen her so fierce.

It was a nice day for Ash in all, but he could have enjoyed it more. He spent a lot of time pondering the return of his dream. But then, climbing onto the ship, Ash pushed it out of his thoughts as best he could. Because, as the engine roared and the boat came to life, Ash stood out on the bow with everyone else, Lillie on the same side as he was, Kiawe, Lana, and Mallow on the other. Kukui was driving from the glass-windowed cabin. As they sailed across the navy sea under the night, slowly accelerating, the gale hit them so hard Ash and Lillie had to hold down their hats. But it was revitalising.

"Here we go!" Hau yelled, stretching each word out. "Hey, kick it up a notch, grandma!"

"This is as fast as it goes, Hau!" Kukui yelled out, sounding amused.

"Isn't this awesome, Ash?!" Mallow shouted. "I haven't been to Akala in a long time! This is really exciting!"

"I get what you mean!" Ash yelled back. "It's my first time heading there, so I'm ecstatic! This is what journeying is all about!"

"Wooo! You said it, Ash!" Hau bellowed.

"You excited too, Lillie?!" Mallow called.

"Yes, very! I haven't been to Akala either! I can't wait to see it!"

Soon, Akala was in the distance, and the boat sailed towards the shore. As the land approached, Ash couldn't wait to disembark.

* * *

"How long would you say we've been on here already?" Clemont asked from the aisle seat of the plane. That was probably the tenth time he had asked, and he knew he was being pedantic, but he was desperate to get to Alola. Desperate to see Ash.

"Clemont, we're only halfway there," Brock answered with a sigh, a far cry personality from what Clemont had seen before. With the falsification of Ash's death, he had been very tempered, very stern and blunt. But now he was calm and stoic, and even more friendly than he had been before. That must be what he was usually like. That just showed Clemont how much of an impact Ash had on the man. "Just chill out a little bit."

"I can't chill out," Clemont said, "not when so much is going on right now. I mean Ash being alive, Oak's situation, whatever happened with Red and Delia; it's overwhelming."

"Speaking of Oak's situation, don't you think something is a little bit strange?" Dawn asked from the window seat, leaning across to view them both.

"Strange?" Brock asked.

"Yep, strange. I mean, Oak is a smart man. Surely, if he really wanted to study Ash, he could have just sat down and talked it over civilly with him. He could have just asked. He didn't have to try and sabotage his whole career as a trainer. It's as if the reason he did it _was_ to stop Ash from being a trainer," Dawn explained.

"You don't think we've had the whole story, then?" Clemont questioned.

"I agree," Brock said. "What he did was radical if what he said was his reason. With the introduction of these shifty people, it's getting a bit complicated. Maybe what he said was a side-reason, but was Oak truly telling the truth? I'm not so sure," Brock said in a bout of knowledge. It seemed the whole prospect of Ash being dead had clouded his mind, too. They should have realised this beforehand. Grief really was a powerful emotion.

"What could it be, do you think? Did he really want Ash to stop being a trainer?" Dawn wondered.

"I don't know. In my opinion, we should think about all of that later," Clemont said, leaning back into the cushioned chair. We've still got half a day until we get to Alola, so it should be morning by then. Let's get some sleep," Clemont suggested, and his companions nodded. Dawn drew down the blind of the tiny window, Brock flicked off the seat's personal lights, and Clemont shut his eyes, thinking one thing.

_I'm coming, Ash._


	20. Chapter 19: Akala Island

Chapter 19:

Akala Island

It was not long after they docked on Akala that the rag-tag group paraded onto the moonlit streets of Heahea City, Akala's coastal city. They browsed along the promenade's pavement peering into shop windows, pointing at anything worth noting. The tranquil evening was livened with their carefree chatter.

Lillie was overjoyed seeing how different Akala was to Melemele. Akala was almost cut into two islands, one of the few things she already knew. The main body was twice or thrice the size of Melemele, covered in more forestry and a much more diverse landscape. A gigantic volcano, Wela Volcano, the same one Kiawe constantly mentioned, poked into the clouds from the centre of the island, and to the north-west, there was what appeared to be giant tidepools. The second, smaller island was a simple mound of mountainous forestry connected by a small road.

Lillie listed all of the places on a mental post-it-note. It was her side-goal to explore the whole island, to try some new things, in the way she wanted to become more physically active and more confident.

Much like Hau'oli, Heahea City fronted the sea. Heahea was not what a normal city looked like: the seafront was one expansive, straight road outlining the Island. Inland there stood various shops – a boutique, a florist, a tourist board, restaurants – that peered out across the sea, and then all of the housing and further businesses lay behind. There were some white office buildings – one of which they saw Kukui wander into before after left – and many houses, all built behind the promenade, implanted in the forestry. There was a beach, too, situated like a back garden to the city.

It seemed Heahea City was quite affluent. Each building's architecture was posh, designed with pristine square and arched muntin windows, pillars, small window gablets, and balconies. Lillie had not picked up on that fact before Ash revered how grand they looked. That made Lillie flush in embarrassment. Such extravagant design was normal to her. She had not told anybody about her previous luxurious lifestyle, so she was worried.

Lillie did not fear a harsh rebuttal if she revealed herself for keeping it a secret. She simply did not want her friends to act differently around her, to better their manners or posture to that of the statues in her yard, stiff and tense. It was a complicated situation because sharing her past stopped her from getting to properly know her friends, something she had wanted to do for a while. She was only concerned. But there was one period of her past she would never unveil. The hard part.

The group frolicked around the streets for about an hour until fatigue blew across them as if embedded in the salty sea breeze. Mallow yawned widely, embarrassedly covering her mouth and turning away from Ash who, Lillie noticed, had been rubbing his left shoulder all day as if it ached. Lillie, sympathising with Mallow, suggested they find a place to stay for the night. She too felt exhausted. It had been a long day.

Kiawe took leadership. He led them to the Tide Song Hotel, a gigantic marble mansion with pointed ocean blue rooves topped by flagpoles and fronted by a grand canopy. White banners painted with royal blue silhouettes of Water-Type Pokémon were draped below the second-floor windows. Some were strung up the flagpoles, whipping in the wind.

The interior was just as magnificent: waxed marble floors designed like bricks, a glittering fountain topped by a blue bouquet, golden printings covering the walls. Everything was spotless and glaring. To Lillie, the glowing white was not a comforting sight.

Fifteen minutes and a big discussion on who would pay the most for the pricey rooms later – Ash ended up spending a lot of his battle reward money – they had procured two double rooms for themselves.

Lana raised the question that Lillie had been considering as they ascended the pristine marble-gold lift. "How are we going to decide who stays in which room? One of us might have to sleep on a settee or something."

"We've got two rooms, so one for the boys and one for the girls?" Ash suggested.

"No, no need for that," Kiawe said, "I'm heading back home, hence why I did not contribute to the payment."

"Ehh… Ash you sly guy, sneaking a chance to share a room with a lovely lass," Lana said. "I see, I see."

"Hmm? Is that so strange? I've shared rooms with my travelling companions before. We're friends, right?" Ash replied.

Lana palmed her forehead. "Of course, you would be that dense…"

"I get what you're insinuating, Lana, I'm just more mature," Ash quipped, earning him laughs. Lana looked pleasantly pleased with his rebuke.

The lift door slid open with a ping and they wandered along the third floor, peering up at the numbered plaques above every door.

"Ah, found them!" Ash said as they stopped outside rooms three-nineteen and three-twenty.

"I… umm… I don't mind sharing with Ash if you two don't want to," Mallow tentatively said to Lillie and Lana.

Lillie had not a moment to voice her nerves on the matter as Lana looped her arm around Mallow's and dragged her into room three-nineteen.

"Sorry, I'll be taking Mallow. We've gotta talk about some things. I hope you don't mind, Lillie," Lana said.

"O-Oh, n-no not at all," Lillie replied, shaking her head lightly. The prospect of sharing with a boy was unnerving to her, but she was keen to try new things, to breach her comfort zone. Also, she didn't want to intrude on Mallow and Lana's best-friendship. She and Lana were not yet as close as she was with Mallow. Lillie felt more comfortable around Ash than Lana.

"Thanks!" Lana said and hastily shut the door.

For a moment, the trio in the hall remained quiet. "What was that?" Ash asked, leaning up against the door.

"Who knows," Kiawe replied, flicking his eyes knowingly towards Lillie.

"Oh well. I hope you don't mind sharing with me, Lillie." Again, Lillie shook her head. Ash smiled, then turned and opened the door. "Oh, then again, it should be beneficial. I can help you out with your fear more easily this way."

Lillie was surprised to hear Ash say that, so much so a quiet remark of surprise squeaked from her lips. "Y-Yes, that does sound like a good idea!" Lillie exclaimed.

Ash held the door for Lillie and she graciously entered the room before him.

The room was quite large. A long rectangular desk ran along the left white wall. A full-body mirror stood at the end of the desk. Opposite were two single beds and a bedside table between, and a small lamp on top. Facing the door there was a large wall of glass sliding doors that were parted, leading onto a balcony. The curtains were blowing in the breeze.

"Woah!" Ash cried, relinquishing his bag onto the mahogany floor as he ran onto the balcony. Ash grabbed onto the stone barrier and leaned forwards. "What a view!"

"You two get settled. I'll go and see what's going on with the other two," Kiawe said, and wandered back into the hall.

Lillie placed her bag gently onto the desk, allowed Nebby free, and followed Ash, standing beside him. She looked out at the view of the ocean: a couple of Lapras were slowly gliding across the sea, some Mantine and Mantyke were darting out of the water, flipping and spinning, then dunking their heads back in. In the distance, Lillie could vaguely see the outline of a small island.

"Wow…" Lillie echoed Ash's surprise.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lillie saw Ash once again reach his right arm across his body to massage his shoulder. Almost simultaneously, Pikachu made a similar movement.

"Are you ok?" Lillie asked, gesturing his shoulder.

"Oh, this? Yeah, I'm ok. For some reason, my shoulder is aching a bit. It may have just been from lifting something a bit heavy when setting up the boat. Nothing to worry about." Ash gripped a fist and flexed his arm, grinning.

Comfortably accepting Ash's answer, Lillie turned away to watch the night-time ocean.

* * *

After Lana heaved her through the door and slammed it, Mallow squirmed free of her hasty arm-lock. She spun around and stared at her bluenette best friend as she paced across the room.

Mallow was exasperated. Sharing a room with Ash was her best chance to get closer to him and it could have provided the privacy she needed to disclose her feelings. The fact that Lana had so rudely yanked that opportunity from her felt as if she had prevented her from cooking. It was like a betrayal.

"What was that?" Mallow asked, slumping down onto the edge of a bed. She folded her arms across her midriff, trying her hardest to look angry. It was hard for her: she was not the type of person to be truly angry.

Lana shrugged. "I'm just stopping you from moving too quickly," she said whilst flopping back onto the other bed, her body bouncing on the squishy surface. "I don't want to have a repeat of the events last year when you thought you loved that boy. I can't remember his name; I never cared for him, but the one that cheated on you. Who even does that as a fifteen-year-old?"

"We were stupid kids! I didn't know what I was talking about! You think Ash would do something like that?!" Mallow asked, dismayed that Lana would even suggest such a thing.

"No, not the same thing. I just mean you could get hurt. It's only been a year."

"Lana, you've been around Ash for nearly a month now. Surely you know by now how nice of a person he is," Mallow vouched.

"You're being naïve, Mallow. Ash is an insanely nice person, but that's not what I mean. What if he doesn't give you the answer you want? Also, it's a bit difficult to make an opinion on somebody when you don't know much about them. We know he's nice and compassionate, but what if there is more that you don't like?" Lana said with a lot more emotion in her voice than normal. It sounded like a mix of desperation and frustration. Then, Lana added, "Heck, why do you even like him?"

To her shock, Mallow couldn't form a concrete answer. She had thought it would have been easy but when she parted her lips, she had to stop. The only reason that filled her mind was physical attraction and his kindness. Was that enough of a reason?

"I… I'm just attracted to who he is. There doesn't have to be a reason for it. And learning more about your partner is a fun part of a relationship…" Mallow argued, feeling a little disheartened.

Lana sighed, and her voice softened. "I get that, Mallow, I do. I pulled you in here because I'm worried that, if you share a room, you will rush into things without thinking them through. You always do that. I think you should at least learn more about Ash before you rush into it. You know, a little about his past, some of the things he likes doing. Just to get a real idea about everything."

"Is – Is that why you've been acting strange around Ash this entire time? You've been suspicious of him?"

"That's part of it," Lana said. "But the other reason is that you've been hurt so many times throughout your life, from that boy and the way some of those girls in school treated you because they were jealous of you and your looks, to your mum's passing. You're such a nice person, Mallow–"

"I just don't want anybody I care about to go through something similar…" Mallow muttered. She was getting emotional now, a rare occurrence. Mallow didn't often let herself get in such a way around other people. If she, the supposed strong one in the group, showed too much emotion, the others would too. At least, that's how she saw it.

"I know, Mallow. I don't want to see you hurt. I guess I was just wary because you took such a liking to him so quickly and–" Lana said, stopping at a knock on the door. It opened and Kiawe peered inside.

"Is everything ok?" Kiawe asked, surveying the two.

Lana sighed and rose to her feet. "I'm only looking out for you, Mallow. How about we all head into the other room and have a bit of a chat? That way, you can make a more grounded decision."

"Yeah," Mallow said tearfully, wiping at her eyes, "I'd like that."

"Come on, Kiawe. You're joining too," Lana said, dragging Kiawe by the arm as she left. Kiawe's confused stuttering was only silenced when the door swished to a close behind them.

Mallow waited a little longer to collect herself. She had so many questions. Was everything she thought a lie? Was she that vain to like someone on looks alone? Lana's words deeply confused her.

By the time she entered the other room, her friends were sat lazily across the beds, except Lillie who maintained her proper posture, holding her dress down over her legs. Ash's grin was the first thing she noticed as she entered, a gesture that made her heart do a Teeter Dance. She sat beside Lillie, joining the already progressing conversation Lana was uncharacteristically leading. Knowing that it was for her sake, Mallow was moved. Lana truly was her best friend.

"I swear I've told you before, but my reason for wanting to become an Island Kahuna is to follow in my Grandfather's footsteps. He was the Kahuna of Akala in his day. He even gave me my Charmander as a starter Pokémon, which is rare for Alola," Kiawe said.

"Talking about starter Pokémon – Ash, I've been curious about this for a while. How did you come to have Pikachu as your partner? Aren't starter Pokémon always either a Fire, Water, or Grass Type?" Lana asked, winking at Mallow.

Ash chuckled. He glanced fondly at Pikachu. "Ah, thinking about it sure takes me back! You're right. Usually, you get either of those three types. Thing is, on the day I was going to get my starter Pokémon, I slept in."

"You what?!" Kiawe cried, aghast.

"Yeah, I slept in. By the time I got to–" Ash hesitated, his face twisting faster than a flicker of lightning. His smile reformed just as quickly. "Professor Oak's lab, all of the starters had already been taken by other trainers. Pikachu here was the fourth Pokémon, the one you usually wouldn't be allowed to have. I can see why too: Pikachu was the most stubborn and moody Pokémon ever when we first met. You can still see that stubbornness now. To this day, Pikachu has never gotten back into his Pokéball. He refuses to. He hates it."

"Pika! Pikachu!" his partner complained, causing Ash to laugh. Mallow found herself joining in too. The way Pikachu pouted was too cute.

"Hey, it's true! He wouldn't even fight a Pidgey for me, and he laughed in my face the moment I failed to catch one," Ash explained. "It wasn't until we had to fight off a whole horde of Spearow – and Pikachu took 'em all out in one go after being supercharged by a bolt of lightning – that we bonded. Since then, we've been inseparable."

"I cannot imagine either of you seriously arguing. You get along so well," Lillie pointed out.

"We've been together for just over six years now, so, yeah, we know each other pretty well."

"Six years?" Mallow asked.

"Yep, six years of adventuring," Ash confirmed.

"How have you been adventuring for so long? Surely Kanto is not that big," Lana said.

Ash shook his head, readjusting the pillow behind his back. "Believe it or not, we've been to seven different regions so far."

"Seven?!" Kiawe exclaimed.

"Yep, seven regions in total if you're counting Alola. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and now Alola," Ash listed, lifting his fingers respectively. "In that order. You could count the Orange Islands as somewhere I've explored too. Just – jeez. I'm in the seventh year of my journey… Has it really been that long?"

"Y-You've really been to all of those different places?" Lillie asked, looking shocked. Mallow shared her apparent feelings. She could hardly imagine a world outside of Alola, yet Ash had explored six other regions and an archipelago. Mallow found herself wondering just what he had seen, what he had done. She understood Lana's earlier statement perfectly. There was so much more to learn about Ash.

"Yep."

"I've never even left Alola!" Kiawe exclaimed.

"I don't think any of us have," Mallow said.

"What kept you busy for so long?" Lana asked.

"Normal trainer things, really. Seeing Pokémon and filling the Pokédex, meeting and battling loads of Pokémon and people, challenging the gyms and the Pokémon Leagues, that sort of thing. A few unique experiences here and there."

"Which region was your favourite?" Mallow keenly asked.

"I'd either say... Sinnoh or Kalos. I'm not including Kanto since that's my home and I may be a bit partial to choose it. They're total opposites, though. Sinnoh is colder with more snow and Kalos is hot. Not quite as hot as Alola. Though, I don't love them because of the scenery. It's because the people – sorry, some of the people I met, the Pokémon I caught, and the adventures I had were amazing. There was this one time in Sinnoh…" Ash said and began delving into stories of his past, excitably detailing events in thorough detail.

Ash explained what he did on his adventures, humorously re-enacted scenes from his battles, and described some of his other friends so accurately that Mallow could visualise them. She felt slightly jealous learning of everything he had done with them. She inwardly flinched at the times he mentioned his female companions. His descriptions made them out to be model-esque in appearance, and more talented than a stadium of people. Mallow hoped he was exaggerating.

Then, after sneaky prompts from Lana, Ash delved into talking about himself. His favourite colour was blue, he loved macarons and doughnuts – something Mallow was delighted to hear as she could bake both – and he had once taken part in Coordinating. The more Ash explained, the more delighted Mallow was. To her, the small tidbits of information were key facts. The more she learned, the more she was certain her feelings were not a fluke. They were genuine.

Ash continued talking for an hour until it was eleven, and there was one thing Mallow noticed that was slightly out of the ordinary. Something that slightly worried her. At times, when talking about certain aspects of his past, Ash would almost wince. It was barely noticeable, but she saw it a few times. It was as if he was omitting something, that he felt pain whenever he spoke about it. Then, sometimes, he would stop himself mid-sentence, as if he were about to reveal something he shouldn't have. While that worried her, Mallow was still captivated by him.

As she went to bed that night, Mallow felt a lot better about herself. The storm of confusion Lana had tossed her feelings into beforehand had cleared. Mallow decided that she wanted to continue to learn about Ash as best she could from that day on. As sleep permeated into her consciousness, she decided her feelings were real.

* * *

It was morning by the time the plane landed in Alola. During the final two hours of their flight, Dawn's heart and mind had been working overtime. She was jittery. She physically felt her heart pounding. Her euphoria and desperation to reunite with Ash delivered her into delirium, and for about an hour straight she needlessly wondered how Ash was, where he was, what he had been doing.

Then, in the way a person would blissfully anticipate a date, she toyed with various scenarios of her reunion that may or most-likely-may-not come true. She decided to keep calm at first, then she realised she wouldn't be able to and opted to tackle him with a hug. But that would go against public decorum, so she thought of something else, then something else, until her head was frazzled and incoherent. She was thinking too much, but she was just that excited to have her best friend back. She could not stop smiling.

After disembarking, Dawn, Brock, and Clemont sprinted past an exotic signboard posted with the message 'Alola to Alola' and ran into Team Rocket, who were waiting at the escalators.

"Where is he?!" the trio shouted at the three without even greeting them. Dawn sent her eyes on a voyage around the room. She felt a twinge of disappointment when she didn't see Ash.

"It's nice to see you twerps again too," Meowth said sarcastically.

Brock marched up to James and grabbed his hand for a strong handshake, while Jessie merely flicked a purple-nailed hand towards them, lazily. She looked exhausted.

"Unfortunately, he is not with us, but we can take you to him," James said.

"Please!" Clemont shouted, bowing forwards at almost ninety-degrees, sticking his hand out for it to be shaken.

Jessie, ruffled, spun on her heels. "Alright, follow us. Just – stop bowing," she muttered, as if embarrassed. Dawn could not hold in her laughter seeing Jessie act so coy. It was if she was a different person. "Shut it you!" Jessie yelled. Or not.

It was balmy outside the conditioned airport, a tropical heat that melted Dawn's icy, Sinnoh-accustomed skin. It had been a long time since she had visited a place so summery, so much so that she discarded her scarf and sleeveless pink jacket, tying both around her waist. She had underestimated Alola. _Clemont must be boiling in his jumpsuit_, she thought.

James, Jessie, and Meowth led them across the town – which was undeniably beautiful in Dawn's opinion, vivid by the sun's grace – to the Poké-Center. As they ascended the stairs and followed to room ninety-nine, Dawn's heart hammered again. Her library of anticipatory scenarios slipped her mind, which was much too cloudy to think. She just wanted to see Ash now, to know he was ok, to know he was alive.

"Here," James said and knocked on the door. Team Rocket stepped aside, and Dawn joined the boys in throwing the door open.

"Ash!" the trio yelled, charging into the room.

"What the hell?! Who are you?!" a groggy stranger yelled back at them from inside. A beat later, Dawn realised there were a man and a woman in the room, both on one bed, entangled, squinting as if they just woke up. "Get out!"

Hurriedly, Dawn scurried back out into the hall, yelling her apologies back at them with a crimson complexion. Brock slammed the door after them.

Tensely slow, like a serial killer in a horror film, Dawn, Brock, and Clemont turned around to Team Rocket, glaring harder than a Scary Face. Jessie, James, and Meowth, on the other hand, looked pale and horrified, their faces contorted in such a way that they should have broken their cheeks and jawbones.

"What was that?!" Brock asked heatedly.

"I thought you said Ash was in there!" Dawn cried.

"B-But he _was_ in there! I-I have no idea where he–" James replied, then glanced, shocked, at Jessie.

"He wouldn't have…" Meowth muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Clemont asked.

"…He may have gone to the next island over," Jessie whispered, just loud enough that they could hear.

"What?!" Dawn shouted this time. "You didn't stop him?!"

"We tried," James said. "We had nothing to say to stop him leaving."

"How about 'Your friends are coming over to see you'?" Clemont suggested.

"Oh…" Meowth muttered. "Yes, that could have worked."

"Ughhh!" Dawn groaned. She backed into the wall and slumped down it. She was so embarrassed. "Why was their door not locked?!"

"We should have known you'd be this incompetent…" Brock muttered.

"Don't worry," James said. "There are boats out to Akala every four hours during the week. The next one will leave at four o'clock. Though, it may be hard to get tickets now. The boats are not that big."

"Then lead the way!" Dawn demanded, leaping onto her feet. "I want to see Ash as soon as possible."

Team Rocket led them through the city again, around the beach and across the pier, to a large glass building towards the coast. It was the Melemele Tourist Bureau.

Wandering inside, they had to wait painfully in line to reach the counter. However, Dawn felt another wave of disappointment slash her when they asked for tickets.

"I'm sorry, our earliest available ferry to Akala is tomorrow evening at eight o'clock."

"Seriously?" Dawn breathed, frustrated. That was just their luck. It seemed Team Rocket's conversion to the good side did not dampen their bad luck. Maybe it was karma and they were affected too by making up with them.

"Unfortunately. You see, Wednesday evening is Royal Mask's first Battle Royal after his hiatus. As such, everybody from all over Alola is keen to watch it in the stadium. So, all of our ferries are booked," the lady explained.

"Ah, I see. A region-wide event is taking place. In that case, three tickets to your earliest available ferry, please," Brock asked with a calm head. It seemed he, unlike Dawn, was able to control his eagerness. That was a sure change from his attitude when he thought Ash was dead.

After purchasing the tickets – Team Rocket purchased their own tickets for the same boat – they slouched out of the bureau, their spirits snuffed. Dawn slumped onto a bench, her head tilted back, the back of her palm pressed to her forehead. "I can't believe our luck. Now we have to wait until tomorrow to see Ash," Dawn said, pouting.

"It's very frustrating. It's making me way too nervous; the apprehension I'm feeling is too much. How's he going to react to seeing me?" Clemont agreed.

"Hmm. In that case, why don't we head to a restaurant for a little while? I'm sure a bit of food will help ease your worries," James suggested.

"I could go for food," Brock agreed. "A jelly-filled doughnut sounds like a nice dessert."

"Heh, just wait until you try a malasada!" Meowth commented.

"How come you're coming to Akala with us?" Brock asked as they made their way through town.

"Well, we've passed our trials to get into the Police Force, and now we feel safe to explain some things to Ash, and you of course. We want everybody to be together when we explain."

"Really?" Dawn asked. "Is it something bad?"

"Who knows?" Jessie answered.

"We can't say for sure," James said.

Fifteen minutes later, they were all sat within a booth munching on new concoctions of food Dawn had never tried before. While it was tasty, Dawn couldn't bring herself to enjoy it to the fullest given her disappointment. Waiting another full day felt like it would be too hard. She wouldn't be able to sleep that night.


	21. Chapter 20: Ash and Lillie's Secrets

Chapter 20:

Ash and Lillie's Secrets

Lillie awoke the morning the trio arrived on Melemele to a tickling sight she had never anticipated awakening to; Ash sprawled across the adjacent bed with Pikachu laying across his chest, the crumpled blanket discarded halfway over the edge, his arms lolled crookedly beside his head. Lillie giggled quietly to herself, observing and admiring Ash's state for a few moments.

In truth, Lillie was both nervous and thrilled at the prospect of sharing the room with Ash for their tenure at the hotel. The presence of another person made the room feel less lonely, less like that white mansion from her childhood. Lillie felt a lot safer knowing Ash was only a few metres away, even though she had just as hard a time getting to sleep last night. However, instead of lying there with insomnia enforced by terror, worrying about the possible hardships the next day could bring as she had done every night until three months ago, Lillie had been restless for a completely different reason. She had lain awake nervously contemplating the new arrangement.

What would she and Ash talk about? Would they become even closer friends? Would she get annoyed by any strange habits Ash had, like snoring as deafeningly as a Loudred, causing them to become more estranged? How far would they get with her fear of Pokémon?

On the outside, Lillie tried to remain poised, but on the inside, a plume of warmth and worry blossomed in her chest. Seeing Ash now, however, in such a carefree state, was a deterrent for her worry. Knowing he was likely in a similar situation to her made her feel more comfortable.

Lillie sat up and drew across her sheets, grinning like a Bellossom. The morning was bright through the satin curtains; it looked like it was going to be a great day. But, as Lillie made to slip out of bed, her gaze fell upon her bare lower legs, the area she usually covered with her knee-high socks. More specifically, she eyed the small cuts and gashes marring her snowy white skin. They were her scars, her secret, the past she did not want the others knowing about.

Lillie's emotions did a reversal; her eyes morphed into frightened voids and were quickly fringed by tears, and her bottom lip began to quiver. Seeing her scars reminded her of the hardest time of her life, what her life had been three months prior. She recalled her other scars too; the scars carved across her belly, waist, and hips, her chest, back and shoulders hidden by her hair, and the ones on the very top of her thighs. Lillie hated them, how they looked and the stories they told.

When Ash stirred across the room, groaning tiredly, Lillie panicked. She couldn't let Ash see her in that state. Lillie grabbed her clothes and dashed into the bathroom, hurriedly locking the door behind her.

Hoping Ash didn't see anything, Lillie quickly started the shower and soon stood despondently under the steaming stream of water, letting it drench the top of her head and soak her long, shining tresses, and trickle like lines of fire across her back. Lillie stared at herself, at the marks engraved on her belly and chest, and she didn't realise when she started crying. A depressive hysteria gripped her, bound her heart, made her breathless. She sobbed and gasped, trying to keep herself quiet or else Ash would definitely hear her breakdown.

Lillie's greatest desire was to be more confident. Despite the scars, despite her shyness. But, whenever she saw the scars, she saw the glowing purple eyes again, the transparent bubble-head quivering, the explosions, the shrapnel cutting towards her body. She flashed back to the time before she escaped.

To abate her hysteria before Ash realised, Lillie held on to that notion. She had escaped. It was over now. But she couldn't forget about it. When she felt the water trickle across and warm her belly, she wished desperately that it would wash away the marks.

By the time Lillie exited the shower, her skin had a rosy sheen from the heat, but the red on her cheeks and around her eyes was the result of her crying.

She stepped out of the bathroom, her scars covered once again and saw that Ash was no longer in the room. His bed was not tidied but messed further by his pyjama vest and shorts tossed randomly, and the balcony door was open. Lillie stepped out onto the balcony and gazed across the ocean, trying to push the reminiscing out of her head.

Ash was outside already, down on the battlefields below: Pikachu and Rockruff were off to the side, sparring, and Litten was watching Ash intensely. What caught Lillie's eye was Ash himself. He was training like a martial artist, punching and kicking outwards against two brown-furred hands with blue fingers; Lillie couldn't see what he was punching beyond the thick bark of a palm tree. She wondered if all Pokémon Trainers trained that way, alongside their Pokémon.

A knock on the door drew Lillie from watching Ash. She opened it to Mallow on the other side, grinning at her.

"Morning Lillie!" Mallow greeted, waving at her friend.

"Good morning, Mallow," Lillie replied as politely as she could in her dampened mood.

"Do you want to come shopping with me today? Just the two of us?" Mallow asked. "Kiawe called and said he was helping out on the farm, and Lana wants to spend the day out fishing at Brooklet Hill – it's the best fishing spot in all of Alola, apparently. Ash said he was going to have a look around the Island on his own for a good route to train so that just leaves us. What do you say?"

Lillie's eyes opened wide at the grand proposal. Grand to her, at least. She had never been shopping by herself, aside from getting the groceries after she moved into Kukui's house. Mallow had offered before, but then Lillie had raised her voice at them and didn't end up going. Honestly, she couldn't remember a time she had ever picked any clothes out for herself. "I would love to go!" Lillie said. "Just let me dry my hair and get my bag."

"Awesome!" Mallow cried, skipping into the room and leaping onto Ash's messy bed as Lillie sat on hers, plugging in her hairdryer. Lillie hoped that the red around her eyes had faded somewhat. She didn't want Mallow, of all people, to notice.

* * *

By the time Lillie was ready, she coaxed Nebby back into the bag – who had been out on the balcony watching Ash – and they left the hotel at around eleven o'clock. Lillie didn't realise how long she had in slept for; she must have stayed up contemplating a while longer than she originally thought.

Mallow babbled joyously their entire walk around town. It was as if she had been replenished with a whole life's worth of cheerfulness and released it all at once. She was a newsreader, gossiping and speculating about Poké-Vision and Serena Yvonne's upload hiatus, new ideas for her cooking, and her excitement for her Trial Captain trial period as if reading from a script she had written in her head. Lillie tried her best to keep up.

Honestly, Lillie was in awe of Mallow. She couldn't take her eyes off the green-haired girl, but not because of Mallow's beautiful ebullience that attracted so many stares from passers-by, boys, and girls alike – Lillie didn't even consider they could be looking at her. It was Mallow's bold outfit for the day, of which she timidly admired from side-ways glances: a loose cream crop-top with a leaf print paired with royal blue denim shorts and sandals. It was a lot warmer than the previous day, so her outfit was an accommodating choice. What captured Lillie was Mallow's confidence to wear such an outfit. She was somewhat jealous because she knew she would never be that confident. She was much too shy. But also, she had her scars.

"Oooh!" Mallow cooed in delight as they wandered into a sea-side market. She skipped to a shaded stall, its desk cluttered with merchandise, and picked up a pink hibiscus flower hairpin. "This would look amazing on you, Lillie! It'll give you more colour!" Mallow reached across and pinned it to the corner of her hair.

"Y-You think so?" Lillie delicately touched the hairpin, surprised at the choice. Lillie would never have chosen such a thing herself.

"Absolutely!" Mallow vigorously nodded her head up and down. "Ooh, look at these earrings!" Mallow picked up some cherry earrings and put them on, flicking her hair aside.

"They suit you, I think," Lillie complimented. Although, she thought Mallow would probably look amazing in anything.

"Oooh! Look over there! That might suit your whole snowy theme even better!" Mallow said and started skipping through the market.

"Miss! You've gotta pay for those first!"

"Oh, right!" Mallow said, scurrying back over, laughing at her ditzy mistake.

Mallow was contagious. By the time they arrived at a third stall, Lillie adopted her excitement, bravely browsing the stalls with Mallow and by herself for the first time. After a thrilling twenty minutes, they exited the small market with a few new acquisitions. Lillie, proud that she had bought them herself, had procured a necklace and the two hairpins Mallow recommended.

They stopped then at a small café fronting the beach at around midday. While waiting for a chilled lemonade and a pancake, Lillie watched the beach-dressed people gambolling or sunbathing on the beach. She watched the people that were confident enough to show their skin.

"We should all go to the beach soon," Mallow said. "I can't believe we haven't been together yet, during the day that is. It must be because of Ash's determination towards the island challenge. He's so busy we can't do anything!" Mallow said light-heartedly, a faux complaint.

"Yes, that would be a fun day," Lillie said, but it was half-hearted. She knew, if they were to go to the beach, she would not be able to enjoy herself properly. Not without getting involved. Not without wearing a swimsuit. Not without showing her scars.

Lillie sighed and looked down at her lap. It was always the same. The days she was extra attentive to her scars and reflected on the past early in the morning were always interspersed with periods of dejection no matter the fun she was having. She always thought of the different things she could do, how much more confident she could be, if she didn't have her scars, and became increasingly dejected. It was a curse.

"Then I would even have a chance to try and get Ash's attention while in a swimsuit!" Mallow commented almost shyly, something unusual for her. "That's where we'll go next: clothes shopping!"

"You like Ash a lot, don't you?" Lillie asked softly.

"I do," Mallow said with a certain nod. "Lana explained this whole thing last night that I don't know Ash well enough and it got me thinking whether I was just convincing myself I like him because I admire his traits. But I mean, isn't that what a crush is? After talking yesterday, it just confirmed it for me. He's amazing, isn't he? The kindness he shows, his dedication to his goals: I admire him for that."

To that, Lillie could heartily agree. Her feelings may not have reached the stage that Mallow's had, but Ash had certainly changed her life too. "I agree. He _is_ amazing. With him around, I feel like I can be more… outgoing, maybe? I don't know…"

"Right?! I get that feeling too." Mallow agreed.

"O-Oh, come on, you are already outgoing," Lillie said, then sighed. "Listening to all of his adventures and stories from the past, all of the people he has met… It – makes me want to experience something similar. I-I want to see more. I don't want to stay cooped up in one place forever. That's why I'm really happy we came to Akala. It's something new for me," Lillie explained.

"It sounds like Ash is from another world, doesn't it? I really want to be a part of that world. I want to experience everything he has."

Their drinks came then, two sparkling, cylindrical glasses with water beads trickling down the sides.

"If you don't mind me asking," Lillie hesitantly said after taking a sip, "what is it like to have somebody you like? I – umm – I haven't felt anything like it before, so I'm a bit curious what it's like."

Mallow breathed out and stretched. "I want to learn more about him right now, a lot more than before. It makes me incredibly happy, always excited, and honestly, a little bit shy. I'm nervous to even reveal my feelings to him."

"Y-You are?"

"Yep. Surprising, isn't it? I've never thought about anybody the same way before. It's – really blissful. I feel as if my heart is on fire when he's around. I instantly feel happy when he talks to me, I can't help but be overjoyed when he compliments my cooking. I think I'll probably faint from stress when I tell him I like him. I can't imagine doing it!"

The way Mallow described it was beautiful. Suddenly, Lillie wanted to know how she felt. Again, it was a foreign feeling, something she had never felt before, something that seemed from another world, just like Ash seemed so.

When they finished their light snack over friendly chatter, they headed onto the street once again. Mallow led Lillie to a clothes shop.

While Mallow critiqued and chose some outfits, Lillie took her time browsing, in the way a child inspected something new. She _was_ a child in that sense, a child let free for the first time.

By the time Mallow was done, Lillie had picked out a few articles of clothing, nothing too much. They were unlike her usual dresses – t-shirts and jeans – but still quite casual, and they covered everything she needed to.

As Mallow approached, Lillie saw one top that pitted her devil against her angel. It was like Mallow's current top, loose and revealing of her midriff. Some deep desire in Lillie's mind urged her to get it, to be confident, but her other half opposed the very notion as if it were a Muk's Toxic. She didn't think she had the courage to pick it out. But when Mallow saw it, she grabbed it, threw it onto Lillie's stack with a word of confidence that Lillie would look alluring in it, and ushered her into the swimsuit section, much to Lillie's distress. Lillie spotted a bikini she liked the look of, then Mallow asked her size, and brazenly threw that on too. She hastened Lillie to the changing rooms.

When Lillie had tried everything else on and determined they fit well enough – she was overly cautious of the curtain moving while she changed – she reached the dubious top and swimsuit. She didn't try them on. She stashed them straight into her bag and went to the tills with Mallow. Lillie felt mortally embarrassed when the woman picked them out of her bag and scanned them. She left the shop as quickly as possible, too embarrassed to stay.

It was around dusk by the time the girls walked back to the hotel, chatting once again. They placed their bags onto Lillie's bed as Mallow flopped back onto Ash's and stretched herself out, complaining about how tired her feet were. Through the balcony doors, Lillie could see that Ash was still outside. His hair looked like a mess.

"Lillie, thank you for the amazing day out! It was nice to just spend some time with you and talk about things," Mallow said, surprising Lillie completely.

"O-Oh, no, it's nothing to thank me for. Thank you for asking me to join you. I had an amazing day also. I did a lot of things I haven't done before," Lillie said, abashed.

"You've never been shopping before?!" Mallow asked, shocked into sitting up.

Lillie shook her head. "My mother bought all of my clothes. It was nice to experience this myself, so thank you, Mallow."

"No problem! We'll have to do it again!" Mallow said with a grin. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right! I'm glad to have you as a friend," Lillie happily said.

"Aww, I'm glad to have you as a friend too, Lillie!" Mallow said. She leapt off the bed and grabbed Lillie into a hug.

Mallow stayed for a while after that, making light chatter until Lana briefly poked her head in. A few seconds later, Mallow stepped towards the door. "Thanks again, Lillie! I'm gonna see how Lana's fishing trip went. See you tomorrow!"

"Good night, Mallow," Lillie said, waving at her friend.

When the door clicked behind her, Lillie was left in the quiet on her own, pondering just how great a day she had. It was a day she had imagined having back when she was alone in the mansion, and when she wished she had people she could call friends. Mallow embodied that friend her child-self had wished for.

Lillie glanced towards the bag beside her, the one with her new purchases in. The one with her daring purchases in. Gathering her courage, Lillie very tentatively reached for the bag. Her hands were shaking, but she decided that she had to do it. But then Lillie imagined what she would look like in them, a phantom image, and pulled her hand back. She couldn't do it.

The sudden opening of the door startled Lillie from her contemplative stupor. She turned to see Ash, sweat glistening his face, sharpening his jaw like a sword, and pinching the ends of his hair. His red cheeks made him look even more handsome. A towel was draped around his neck too, and Pikachu rested on his right shoulder, on his back, looking exhausted.

"Hey, Lillie!" Ash said, grinning. "Did you have a nice day?"

Lillie smiled back at Ash, "Yes, I did, thank you."

"I'm glad!" Ash said.

"What about you?"

"Yeah, it was pretty good! I trained, went around the city and saw a bunch of things! All of it was great – apart from Team Skull pickpocketing and causing trouble. Stopping them was a bit of a hassle. I even found something for us all to do tomorrow, if you're up for it!"

Her bag of clothing forgotten, Lillie said, "I can't wait!"

* * *

It was dark in his office save for the glaring light of a single computer monitor. Professor Kukui descended the stairs into the basement, a coffee mug in one hand, a notebook lodged under his other shoulder, a pen behind his ear. He set the coffee onto his placemat, opened his notebook, and slid into his rolling desk chair.

It was late at night, hours after his working day had ended and finally, he could get started on his side project: discovering more about Ash Ketchum. Kukui didn't know why, but he had been keen to start investigating all day, so much so, he made copious misspellings in his lab report. He had to postpone it until tomorrow when he could focus.

First, Kukui logged into the Pokémon Trainer Database, the official website that collated information on every trainer worldwide, available only to individuals of status: Professors, Gym Leaders, Champions, Kahunas. Kukui searched for Ash, and a youthful ten-year-old picture of him appeared. Admiring how drastically – in a positive sense – Ash had changed over the years, Kukui scrolled through the page, scanning.

He stopped on the section listing the Pokémon Leagues and Competitions Ash had entered, denoting his wins and losses. The long list was the first thing to amaze Kukui: The Indigo Plateau Conference, The Silver Conference, The Ever Grande Conference, The Lily of the Valley Conference, The Vertress Conference, and The Lumiose Conference. He didn't expect Ash to have challenged so many Leagues.

Jotting the list into his book and doing some quick maths, that meant Ash had collected forty-eight gym badges in total in six years. He read that Ash was a semi-finalist in Sinnoh's Lily of the Valley conference and the runner-up in last year's Lumiose Conference in Kalos. In disbelief, Kukui worked out that at those times, Ash was thirteen and fifteen, respectively. They were some serious accomplishments for a teenager.

"Incredible…" Kukui muttered. He skimmed over several other competitions Ash had taken part in, feeling a rush of elation when he read Ash was both an Orange League Champion and the Eighth Frontier Brain of the Kanto Battle Frontier. "Jeez Ash, you've been busy!" Kukui commented, folding his arms and whistling, kicking back on his rolling chair.

After writing everything down, Kukui searched for some individual events in a new tab. The first event he watched was the Sinnoh League Ash had taken part in. He watched Ash battle a person named Paul first.

The battle was pure excellence, in Kukui's opinion: both sides battled masterfully, and the obvious, underlying tension heightened the palpable enjoyment. As he watched, he edged forward in his seat, his heart thumping, and he even jumped out of his seat when Infernape won, yelling triumphantly. But what stole Kukui's awe the most was Ash's Infernape itself. It defeated half of the opposing team, and when its eyes turned red, Kukui could sense its power even through the screen. That was no ordinary Infernape. Ash had some insanely powerful Pokémon.

Next, he was floored for two reasons: a Pokémon League competitor named Tobias used both a Darkrai and a Latios in the league, _and_ because Ash's Pikachu took out that Latios, despite the battle being a draw. That should have been impossible: no Pikachu should be that strong.

Eager to witness more, Kukui searched the Kalos League the previous year. The entire tournament flaunted Ash's abilities. His Pikachu battled expertly, and then there was his Greninja's odd transformation. It clicked: that Greninja was the reason Kukui vaguely recognised Ash's name. He had heard stories of a boy with a unique Greninja even that far out in Alola. Seeing them together, Kukui had no words. They were incredible. In his adjudication, the winner, Alain, was lucky to have defeated Ash and Greninja.

Kukui cycled through his League matches for about an hour, watching video after video, seeing Ash's journey through the Leagues as he grew and grew. Some of the moves and tactics Ash used made Kukui replay the scene a few times, jotting the entire thing into his notebook. That _was_ his passion, after all. He was thankful such a magnificent journey was recorded.

As he finished viewing the videos of the Kalos League, he saw a link that caught his eye. 'Lumiose City Disaster Moments After Pokémon League Final'. Curious, Kukui clicked the link and browsed the article. It detailed a tyrannical plot by a person named Lysandre which led to the appearance of a Legendary Pokémon, Zygarde. In one of the pictures, the Kalos Gym Leaders and a group of people were stood in a line. In the centre was a boy with a Greninja and a Pikachu. It was Ash.

At that point, Kukui was like a fanatic desperate for information. He searched for a while about the Kalos crisis, leaving his coffee to go cold and forgotten. All the while, he jotted everything into his notebook.

From that search came something a lot more intriguing. From the article on the crisis, he clicked a link directing him to a page talking about Zygarde, and another link took him to a page concerning all Legendary Pokémon.

According to a group of researchers, there had been a lot more Legendary Pokémon sightings in the last six years. When Kukui read the results table, he literally jumped out of his chair again.

Six years ago, Kanto's statistic for Legendary Pokémon sightings spiked for that year alone. The next year, it was Johto. Then it was Hoenn. Then Sinnoh. Then Unova. Then Kalos. Afterwards, for the years that had a succeeding year, the results dropped to the norm again. Kukui noticed something most people would not have, and that was what made him shocked: the rises in Legendary Pokémon sightings matched the years Ash had been to each region.

Kukui played detective, albeit a dumbfounded one. He matched the dates of each appearance to the dates of Ash's journey. Printing off maps of each region, Kukui roughly estimated the routes Ash had to follow in order to earn his Gym Badges in the order they were listed on his licence. He was able to deduce that the locations most of the Legendary Pokémon appeared in roughly matched when Ash would have passed each location. Kukui was making wild assumptions, of course, educated ones, but wild, nonetheless.

"Just who are you, Ash?" Kukui asked.

Completely keen on figuring that question out, Kukui removed everything else from his search bar and typed just two words: Ash Ketchum. He pressed enter and his heart stopped. The first link had a harrowing title that could not possibly be true.

**Aspiring Pokémon Trainer, Ash Ketchum, found dead after Pallet Town catastrophe.**

At that moment, as he read the article with eyes agape and re-checked Ash's Database profile to find the words 'Deceased', Kukui knew he had to contact Hala and explain everything he found out. Then, he needed to see Ash. Immediately.

* * *

Ash descended into the foyer of the hotel the next morning feeling ecstatic. Kiawe, Lana, Mallow, and Lillie were all sat around a circular table eating croissants. Ash jogged over and took his seat, quickly wolfing down his breakfast.

"Woah, slow down Ash!" Kiawe commented, laughing. "What's got you so riled up?"

"Well, I saw something yesterday while out in town. I think we should all give it a go," Ash answered.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Lana asked.

"Mantine Surfing!" Ash said.

As Ash had done, Lana stuffed her croissant into her mouth. "Yuf, fetz do rit!" Lana said, slamming her fist into the table and jumping up.

"Alright! I knew you'd be keen, Lana!" Ash said.

"You actually understood that?" Kiawe asked incredulously.

"How about it, guys? Oh, and we can hire a speed-boat for you Lillie since you won't be able to touch the Mantine," Ash said.

"T-Thank you for your consideration, Ash. I would love to come with you," Lillie replied cheerfully.

"I'll come!" Mallow answered. "Oooh, I can't wait!"

Kiawe sighed. "I suppose somebody has to come and make sure you don't get into trouble."

"Don't kid yourself, Kiawe. You wanna come too," Lana said, brushing off his attitude.

"Hmph," Kiawe grunted, turning away to face Ash. "Where do you plan on going on this Mantine voyage?"

"You know that island we can see from our window, Lillie? I found out it's called Treasure Island. It's supposed to be isolated with lots of Pokémon on it and an amazing beach. We can surf over, take a picnic on the boat with Lillie, and spend a day there," Ash explained. "What do you say?" They chorused in agreement, and their plan was set. "Alright!" Ash yelled.


	22. Chapter 21: Treasure Island

Chapter 21:

Treasure Island

"Unbelievable!" Hala's burly voice chuckled into his grand oak living room. In his hands he held Professor Kukui's notebook, reading over it, squinting intensely. "Ash told me he had challenged Gyms and Leagues, but nothing of these extraordinary accomplishments! Ash has done well."

"Yeah, you got that right! That's not the half of it, though, 'cause I've used my Miracle Eye, investigated, and found some things that may or may not be true," Kukui said, flipping the pages of the notebook.

Hala scanned the scrawling – which was almost as undiscernible as Unown manuscript. "My word!" Hala exclaimed, dropping the notebook onto the coffee table. "You are sure the dates match up? You are sure Ash was present at each event?!"

Kukui shrugged. "Hard to say. I've made estimates. See that first incident in Sinnoh, yeah? The date of the Legendary Pokémon sightings, July seventeenth, is between the two dates Ash received his second and third gym badges–according to the Trainer Database." Kukui unravelled a map of the Sinnoh region. Dragging his finger across the paths, he said, "If we follow the route down from the place he received his second badge–Eterna City–he has to walk south-east of Oreburgh City. The three Legendary Pokémon appeared in Alamos Town, which is north-west of Oreburgh and north-east of Jublife. That would be directly west of the route. That make sense?"

"I see," Hala said, "so, by matching all of the dates you have been able to make guesses on where he might have been… Yes, if he took a detour in the forest or got lost, he certainly might have come out there."

"Exactly! Nothing concrete, though, Hala. Anyhow, it's an incredible thought, don't you think?"

"Indeed. For Ash to have possibly met so many Legendary Pokémon that have rarely been seen before, and for Tapu Koko to take an interest in him… I urge you to head over to Akala as soon as possible and talk with Ash," Hala said.

"Yeah, I'm on it," Kukui said, grabbing his items and pocketing them again. Placing his hands together, Kukui leaned his elbows on the table, his face turned grave. "There is something more, Hala," Kukui said, but he hesitated. He didn't know how Hala would respond to the next piece of information. Kukui simply took out a folded piece of paper from his other pocket, unravelled it, and passed it to Hala. It was the article he saw about somebody known as Ash Ketchum being dead.

Hala took it curiously, eyeing Kukui for a moment. He looked to the paper, scanned it briefly, then his eyes opened wide, something that rarely happened.

"What on earth does this mean?!" Hala asked, passing the paper back to Kukui. "Is Ash not who he says he is?!"

Kukui shook his head. "Nah, he is. I saw pictures and videos yesterday when looking through information. I saw him battling in the Kalos League this year; it's definitely him."

"Possibly a disguise?"

"Not probable. I'm just as confused as you are, Hala."

"That settles it. I shall accompany you to Akala," Hala said, pushing himself to his feet.

Kukui expected that response. "Alright," he said.

* * *

A watery typhoon blustering against him, dishevelling his hair like a sheet whipping in the wind; the sun like a sauna baking his skin; adrenaline making his legs, planted firm atop the Mantine, tremble. Ash was completely immersed in surfing across the sea.

A wave began curling on his right, growing with each foot until it towered twice his size, a wall as big as a mild tsunami. Ash lowered his centre of gravity and confidently leaned right, his muscle memory kicking in. He gripped the right bar of the saddle and pushed down, guiding Mantine up the side of the wave. He crouched lower the more they ascended, hovering his left hand over the left bar. When Mantine crested the wave at an almost vertical angle and glided into the air, Ash knelt and grasped both bars firmly.

Mantine climbed the sky. At the height of its jump, Ash leaned right and Mantine did a barrel roll as they began to descend. He leaned left, and Mantine copied, spinning again. Nearing the wave, Ash flexed his fingers and with a burst of reckless adrenaline, he leaned back: Mantine performed a perfect backflip. Two seconds later, Mantine landed back on the wave and Ash guided her down onto the bobbing water, his excitement and adrenaline pumping a series of quivers through his muscles.

As Ash patted Mantine's back in a complementary manner, Mallow cheered across the water, clapping. Ash waved back when a whistling gust blew into his side. Lana soared past him, tearing towards the wave. Professionally, Lana glided up the wave and, flicking the bars back slightly at the top, her Mantine leapt even higher than Ash's had. Whence in the air, Lana performed three spins to the right. On her third spin, Mantine twisted twice more into a corkscrew before landing perfectly. Lana sped down the wave, skidding to a stop a few metres away from Ash, spraying water all over Kiawe.

"Hey! Watch it!" Kiawe complained as he clambered awkwardly onto his Mantine.

"Woah!" Ash shouted. He guided his Mantine to Lana. "That was awesome, Lana! I should have known you'd be a pro!"

Almost shyly, Lana scratched the side of her cheek, looking away. "Well, I have practised many times before." Then, her eyes sharpened and became aflame. She gripped a fist and stared straight at Ash. "I won't lose to anybody when it comes to the water!"

"Is that a challenge?" Ash asked, lifting a brow.

Lana smirked. "Let's do it! I want to see you perform a Gorebyss Spiral!"

"Uh… A what?"

"That's two rolls to the left then a three-spin corkscrew!"

"Alright, you're on!" Ash said, guiding Mantine across the water.

Ash aligned himself for the next wave. When it was high enough, Ash tapped Mantine and they were off. This time, Ash mimicked Lana and balanced on his feet, gradually leaning to the side the more vertical Mantine became. He didn't kneel until Mantine left the water. Tapping Mantine's left fin with his foot, she began spinning. Easily completing the move, Ash landed and glided down towards Lana again.

"Impressive!" Lana commented.

"Your turn: perform two front flips and land it!" Ash challenged.

As if it were as simple as it was for a starter Pokémon to use Tackle, Scratch, or Pound, Lana completed his task and even flaunted her skills by adding a third flip. From there, the pair played a game where they challenged each other to complete moves. Immediately, Ash was eager to impress Lana.

But Ash was the first to fall when Lana challenged him to perform a Lanturn Three-Sixty. He nearly completed the move, but the water oiled the bar and Ash lost his grip. He flew off into the water at the last second, almost landing on top of Lillie in the speedboat.

Meanwhile, Kiawe and Mallow were struggling. Kiawe, despite his muscled physique and hot-headed determination, was unable to maintain his balance on the Mantine and fell off multiple times. Grumbling how he was like his Fire-Types, weak with Water-Types, he settled for sitting on Mantine's back and gliding along beside Lillie's speedboat, spectating the competing pair alongside her. Mallow, on the other hand, was too stubborn to give up. No matter how many times she fell when Mantine began to move, she kept trying, taking breaks between to watch the two pseudo-pros perform.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash stagnated on the Primarina Twist. He tried again, his final attempt, but when he jumped onto Mantine's fin and attempted a front flip himself, his foot slipped on Mantine's back. He toppled over the side. Shaping his body like an arrow, Ash dived into the water.

Shaking his head and opening his eyes to a blurry world, Ash swam to the surface. When his head broke the waterline, he heard his name being called from beside him. The speedboat was immediately by his side and so were the others, looking panicked.

Ash slapped his palms against his face. "Arghh," he shouted, "I lost! Lana, you truly are the Master of the Ocean."

"Was there any doubt?" Lana said, putting her hand out to Ash. He shook it gladly.

Following the scare of Ash's fall, he and Lana took a break beside the boat with the others while Mallow continued practising. Ash felt comfortably exhausted. Lana looked just as tired as he was.

"I have to say, Ash, I'm impressed. It's not often that somebody so new to Mantine Surfing can keep up with me," Lana admitted.

"Thanks, Lana. It's probably my experience. I've ridden on all sorts of Pokémon, so guiding them is like second nature. Plus, if you treat them like your friend and are comfortable with them, there shouldn't be any problem."

"That's exactly right," Lana said, smiling.

After a few minutes, Lana floated back out onto the ocean, attempting to give Kiawe pointers on Mantine Surfing. He was suddenly determined to improve.

"U-Um, Ash?" Lillie quietly asked when the other two were a distance away. Lillie was looking at him quite intently when he caught her eyes. Lillie bashfully looked away, her cheeks flaming pink.

"Yeah? You alright, Lillie?"

"Y-Yes," Lillie said, nodding quickly. "I-I umm was just wondering about that scar on your side," she said, pointing to his right side.

She was pointing to the scar he received after the incident in Pallet Town.

"Well, a-and the other small ones…"

"Oh, you noticed those? They're not much, just little cuts I got from all my adventuring over the years. No need to worry, none of them were serious," Ash said, guessing that her worry was what caused her to ask. Strangely, Lillie nodded and downcast her eyes. She said no more.

"Ash," Lana called, floating over. "Here's an idea. Why don't you go and help Mallow out for a bit?" she suggested. Ash glanced towards Mallow, watching her slip off her Mantine back-side-first into the water.

Lana laughed out loud, and Ash lightly smiled. "Ok, sure. Wouldn't you be better at it, though?"

Lana shrugged. "I'm helping Kiawe."

"Oh, I could take Kiawe if you want–"

"Just go," Lana said.

Baffled at the mysterious girl, Ash sailed to Mallow. He offered a hand down to her. She grasped it with a red-cheeked smile and Ash helped her back into a sitting position on the Mantine.

"Need some help?" Ash asked.

"Please," Mallow said, bashfully.

"Sure," Ash said, tapping his foot on Mantine to move closer. He offered a hand down again, and Mallow slipped hers gently into his. He slowly guided her to her feet. "The key to riding Pokémon is to relax your body, to be comfortable. If you're too tense, you're going to fall when they jerk and move. If you relax, put your trust in them, you'll be able to move with Mantine. Just try that," Ash said, relinquishing the hold on her hands.

"Ok!" Mallow said, and glanced forwards, putting her arms out to balance.

"Low your centre of gravity a little bit, too," Ash instructed.

Nodding, Mallow did as he said. However, the moment Mantine began to move, Ash saw that Mallow was not relaxed in the slightest. Her Mantine jerked forwards and Mallow stumbled again, falling towards the water. Luckily anticipating it, Ash dashed in on his Mantine just in time, catching her around the waist to stabilise her.

"Ah!" Mallow squeaked. Ash looked up quickly, expecting her to be hurt, but all he saw was her red face a few inches from his. Ash held her in silence, feeling his face grow hot too. A warmth manifested between them, and Ash couldn't ignore the feeling of her body in his arms, nor the tender expression she gazed at him with.

"Y-You ok?" Ash checked, and Mallow nodded, grinning.

"T-Thank you," Mallow said.

"No problem." Helping her once more into a stable position, Ash let go, and the warmth vanished. "Ummm… Alright, so here's a tip…" Ash delved into explaining all he could to her. Throughout the explanation, Mallow listened quietly, her red face lingering the entire time. No similar incidents happened, but it glued itself to Ash's mind.

It did not take long until Mallow could ride the Mantine, albeit slowly. By the time Treasure Island neared, she was a lot more stable. As they sailed towards the boat and their friends, Ash heard Mallow whisper something that confused him greatly.

"Lana, you're the best."

* * *

A smooth, empty beach enclosed by a wall of palm trees and a large mossy mountainside greeted the group as they came ashore. Some Wingull were squalling overhead, and some Slowpoke were lazing on the sand. The heat made the world lethargic.

Ash and Lana leapt onto the beach first, grabbing the speedboat's tether and tying it around a large rock. The others exited the boat and relinquished their buoyancy aids into the back.

Uncharacteristically, as Mallow slipped hers off and undid her hair ties, swiping her long green hair from sticking against her tanned body, Ash found himself staring. The way her drenched swimsuit hugged her body, accentuating her features, made a warmth flit across his cheeks. He felt his heart clench in a way he had felt before, but, ominously, the warm grip hurt.

Shaking his head, Ash looked away. He did not want to turn into as lecherous a person as Brock was sometimes, although, at that moment, he somewhat understood Brock's attitude. It was an instinctive reaction to admire something the heart deems beautiful, in their individual opinion, and Ash was not an exception: he was not immune to the unprovoked titillation of a teenage mind.

On his other side, however, stood Lana, smirking at him. To his relief, it seemed she was smug about something else.

"My, my, Ash," Lana jeered, "how did you possibly build up your athletic physique? I'm sure we would _all_ like to know where those scars came from too." Lana peaked past Ash, where Lillie and Mallow looked away quickly, blushing, fiddling with their hands and looking at the sand. Lillie had probably been scanning his scars again, Ash guessed, Mallow too. But he wondered if they actually _had_ been looking.

Kiawe marched over to Ash, slapping his shoulder. He nodded his head. "Indeed, you are a true inspiration."

Feeling mortally confused, Ash asked, "What in Arceus' name are you talking about?"

"Your scars paint a picture of how fiercely you have–"

"E-Enough of that!" Lillie called, surprisingly, nervously, interrupting Kiawe. "It looks like there is a lot to see on the island, so we should go and look around!"

"Yes! Let's do it! Kiawe, you can carry the picnic basket! Let's go!" Mallow added, tossing him the interweaved basket much to his initial chagrin.

A short moment later, Ash joined the group in wandered into the humid forest, cavorting like tourists, their eyes their cameras.

The day disappeared for the group. They spent hours on the island, searching the different areas, discovering just what sort of treasures it held.

The Island was indeed a Pokémon paradise. Amongst the trees, Ash saw innumerable Pokémon he had to ask Rotom to identify. There were Pykumuku, Oricorio, Comfey and some Fomantis, even a Morelull. There were familiar ones too: Caterpie, Metapod, and Butterfree, and some Spinarak lurking in the shaded treetops.

Hidden amidst the forest was a sparkling lagoon in a deep depression. Thick roots of the surrounding trees jutted out of the hole's walls and curled across the water as if making pathways and diving boards. The bushes surrounding the lagoon dripped like mini waterfalls and some U-shaped, leafy vines hung from the overhead canopy. A ray of rainbow sunlight breaking a tiny hole in the canopy made the transparent pond glitter; beautifying it even further, the surrounding forest was at dusk during the day.

The small pond was filled with Pokémon too: Bruxish, Psyduck and Golduck, Dewpider, and Mareanie. There were even a Whiscash and a Surskit gliding on the surface. Ash had seen so many similar sights, and they never dulled to him, but his friends looked as if they had stumbled into Nirvana.

They backtracked to the beach for lunch. Continuing her winning streak, the food that Mallow had prepared made Ash join his friends in Nirvana. They all enjoyed it together, sat on a blanket on the beach, absorbing the full brunt of the mid-day sun as they chatted. The sapping sun leeched off him all day, but after the food, Ash felt re-energised.

After food, Kiawe offered him a battle and Ash keenly accepted, much to the girls' verbal discouragement. They too decided to battle between themselves in the end.

Standing opposite Kiawe, Ash decided to use Rockruff to battle for a type advantage for once, but Litten's Pokéball popped open. It's eyes sharp and eager, a complete change to what he was like when Ash first brought him home, Litten looked ready to fight. _Did something happen?_ Ash wondered, kneeling beside the Fire-Type Pokémon.

"You wanna battle, Litten?" Ash asked. With a determination that rivalled Pikachu's, Litten cried and dug his paws into the sand.

"Alright, then," Ash said, turning to Kiawe who sent out his Salazzle. "It's Litten's first battle, so could you be a little sympathetic?" Ash asked Kiawe.

"Naturally," Kiawe said, and the battle began. "I'll start! Salazzle, use Flame Burst!" Tilting its head back, Salazzle fired the ball of fire up into the air.

"Litten, run in close and use Scratch!" Ducking beyond the descending ball of flames, Litten charged in at Salazzle, rearing its paw back. With a quick jerk, Salazzle swung her tail and knocked Litten back effortlessly. His paws still glowing with Scratch, Litten skidded along the sand, stopping just in front of Ash.

"It won't be that easy, Ash! Salazzle, get in close and use Double Slap!"

Quickly, Ash assessed the situation. Salazzle darted in much faster than Litten had previously dodged, so there was no chance in dodging every move by running away. He observed Salazzle running on all fours and Litten, and it hit him all too quickly: their battle arena was the key. He just had to hope Salazzle used Double Slap in a specific way.

"Litten, wait for it to come in close!" Ash called. When Salazzle was a toe away, towering over the little Litten, Ash called, "Roll to the left!"

Just as Ash had predicted, Salazzle used Double Slap with its tail, its most versatile, quick body part. Thumping it downwards towards Litten's head, Ash grinned in accomplishment: he had conducted Salazzle to act that way. Salazzle's tail was not long enough to sweep at Litten when he was so close, so the only option was to twist its body or hit downwards. The latter was exactly what he wanted.

"Now, roll right!" Ash called and Litten obliged, avoiding the sand-raising blow. With a quick flick, Salazzle thrust its tail downwards towards Litten again, this time twisting its tail to the right of its body. Ash instructed Litten to roll left, and he barely dodged.

Their game of cat and mouse continued successfully until it happened, just as Ash wanted. As Salazzle unleashed a more powerful slap with its tail, it thumped the beach with such force that the sand shot up like a geyser, blowing straight into Salazzle's eyes from its position looking down at Litten.

As Salazzle staggered, wiping at its eyes, Ash shouted, "Use Scratch consecutively!"

Litten dived in whole-heartedly, its white, extended claws slashing like knives at Salazzle. Ash watched as Litten connected three in a row, then retreated to dodge Salazzle's flailing tail, and jumped back in, scratching some more.

Kiawe looked absolutely baffled and yet amazed. "S-Salazzle, use Poison Gas!"

"Litten, back out!" Ash called, and Litten jumped out just as Salazzle secreted a noxious purple cloud around its body. Sighing, Ash turned to Litten and grinned. "Nice work Litten!"

"Salazzle, three bursts of Flame Burst upwards in a triangle!" Salazzle reared its head and shot three convulsing balls of fire upwards, two reaching out to the sides, one directly down the middle.

"Litten, dash forwards to get past them!" Ash called, and Litten charged. The flames landed just behind his tail, snuffing out on the sand.

"Flame Burst right in front of you!"

"Litten, jump up and use Ember!"

Avoiding the rapid blast of fire, Litten unleashed Ember at Salazzle's chest, but it didn't do a lot of damage. "While it's in the air, use Double Slap!"

Ash cringed, remembering how new Litten was to battle. A frontal assault may have been too reckless. Still, Ash called for Litten to use Scratch to parry, but this time, Salazzle learned. It used Double Slap with its long grey arms. Like batons, Salazzle thwacked Litten rapidly with one hand then the next, as if in one motion. Litten was sent flying, and Salazzle pounced in its moment of uselessness. Two more hits of Double Slap sent Litten crashing across the sand, stopping only when enough sand accumulated and formed a block behind his body.

Bravely, Litten slowly rose to its feet, just in the way Pikachu had done against Hala. As Ash realised the Grand Trial must have sparked Litten's battling interest, Kiawe called across the beach.

"Let's stop there," Kiawe said, complimenting Salazzle and returning her. He walked over to Ash. During a quick handshake, he said, "I wouldn't want to see Litten too badly injured during its first battle."

"Thanks, Kiawe," Ash said. He agreed with Kiawe's sentiment. He crouched down to Litten and petted his head. "You did great, Litten. There are some Oran Berries in my bag, so if you go with Pikachu, just eat 'em all."

With a cry, Pikachu helped the limping Fire-Type over to the bag.

"I have to say, if you hadn't said otherwise, I would have thought Litten was fairly experienced in battle. It must be your ability to battle that made it seem so," Kiawe said.

"Thanks," Ash said, scratching his head, chuckling.

"No, really. The way you mimicked a Sand Attack just by looking at the battlefield and understanding the reach of Salazzle's tail. Yes, I noticed. There is no other way you would have been able to predict how Salazzle would move without knowing that. I can't help but be impressed with you. For my first battle with my new rival, I could not have asked for anything better. You have taught me something already."

At that, Ash had to smile. "Thanks, Kiawe, and for the battle. Its – comforting to know somebody admires how I battle," Ash said, his mind flicking back to Oak's words. 'You're a disgrace to Pokémon Trainers'. Ash pushed the thought away easily, something he had not been able to do before.

A call from Lillie grabbed their attention, and they turned to see the girls packed and walking into the forest again. Glancing at each other, Ash and Kiawe laughed, jogging after them.

They continued exploring late into the afternoon. Ash surmised the reason the island was known as Treasure Island was not because of anything material as the name alluded. No pirate gold stowed under the sands, no big pearls or anything worth taking to a collector. The sights were its treasures. The lagoon, the beach, the forest itself, the fields and grottos, the small cave they found an hour ago. The island was a natural treasury.

Returning to the beach via a different path up and along a hill, they happened into a yellow flowering field populated with multiple Comfey and Cutiefly, some Ledyba and Ledian, and Bounsweet. His friends wandered into the Pokémon mass, greeting and waving at the bold natives that did not flinch at all. But Ash saw something else entirely, something mystifying.

Upon a flat mount of earth hovered a figure. Its arms and torso were thin and black with pink rings on its wrists and a stripe of white over its chest. Its face was the same shade but glinted with two blue eyes that were like balls of the ocean, under which were two curved lines. Its lower half was encased in a pink barrel with a black underbelly and two fairy-like wings protruded from the back. The barrel was painted with markings like those on Tapu Koko. On its head rested a pink cone, from beneath which curls of pink hair hung, two strands longer than the rest dangling beside its head.

Undoubtedly, it was one of the Tapu. Wracking his brain from his conversation with Lillie, Ash remembered that she said a deity called Tapu Lele was on Akala Island.

"So that's Tapu Lele…" Ash muttered, edging towards his friends to alert them. He nudged Lillie's shoulder, nodding his head towards Tapu Lele. In a domino effect, the others all turned to look at Tapu Lele too, their eyes wide.

"Wow… Tapu Lele…" Lana muttered.

"So majestic…" Kiawe said, his eyes gleaming with reverence.

"I cannot believe I have seen two of the Tapu…" Lillie muttered, and Ash muttered his agreement.

They all watched as Tapu Lele began swaying in the air, throwing pink sparkles up over her head.

"Wow… Those must be Tapu Lele's scales…" Kiawe noted. "It is said that those scales have incredible properties. If you are touched by them, they can immediately heal any injuries."

"Wow…" Ash whispered.

For fifteen minutes, they watched Tapu Lele dance, until they were spotted. Tapu Lele stopped tossing the scales around and floated over to them. She began bobbing around them, inspecting them and their Pokémon. Nobody said anything, but the look in Kiawe's eye showed exactly what he felt: amazed.

However, quick as a gunshot, Tapu Lele moved backwards, clapped her hands together and unleashed a quick Psybeam towards Kiawe, making a noise that sounded a lot like laughter. Panicked, Ash's body moved automatically. He dived across the openness, hearing Kiawe begin instructing his Turtonator to block it. But Kiawe never finished as the Psybeam hit Ash in the side.

"Ash!" the group called, shocked. They crouched down around him as he painfully sat up, clutching the scorching graze on his side.

"Are you alright?! Why did you do that?!" Kiawe asked.

Ash didn't know what to say. He knew why he did it: his promise to keep his friends safe. That's all it was. He didn't want any of his friends to get hurt. He didn't respond.

As Lillie began panicking, asking the others if they had any specific items on them – she mentioned reading a book on taking care of wounds – Tapu Lele hovered over, her head tilted to the side. They watched her again, but this time, Tapu Lele began discharging the pink scales. Before Ash could even see his wound, he felt his chest loosen and his side became numb. A moment later, the numbness vanished, and the pain was gone. He looked to his side and any trace of his wound was gone.

"Wow… It's true…" Lillie muttered.

Tapu Lele laughed aloud once more and then floated up and over the trees, out of sight.

"Are you ok, Ash?" Mallow asked, helping him up this time.

"Yeah. I'm fine, actually. Tapu Lele's powers are really something special!" Ash said.

"Seriously though, Ash, can I ask why you jumped out like that?" Kiawe asked.

Ash scratched his head, nervously. "Ah, it was an instinctive reaction. I'm like that. I can't sit back and watch my friends get hurt."

Kiawe seemed partially satisfied with that answer.

Chatting about the fact that they had seen Tapu Lele the entire trip back to the beach, musing over the sudden incident and discussing why Tapu Lele attacked, everybody was happy again, as they had been all day. Ash felt even better having protected one of his friends.

* * *

When they arrived back on Akala beach, their whole group fell onto the sand, exhausted. Ash thought that the entire day had been incredible. He planned to cycle through all of the photos Rotom had taken in the morning.

Pushing himself up onto his feet, Ash stretched out his aching arms and legs. After the others got up too, they wandered up the beach.

"That's the last time we can have a fun day like that for a while, isn't it?" Ash said.

"Unfortunately. We're starting our temporary positions tomorrow," Mallow said. "I'm quite excited."

"Me too! I will do my utmost duty to attend to Wela Volcano's trial without failure!" Kiawe announced. "Hopefully then we can conclude our battle, Ash!"

"I'm just in it to catch Kyogre," Lana said.

"Oh, stop that! Kyogre has only ever appeared in Alola once, and that was years ago," Mallow said.

"That means there's a chance," Lana coolly countered.

"That just leaves you and me, Lillie. We saw Tapu Lele today, so one of our goals has to be visiting the shrine," Ash said.

"Yes, I would like that!"

As Ash opened his mouth to respond, he heard a voice. He heard a breathless voice speaking his name into the night. He turned towards the voice and his heart started thumping when he saw who was stood on the street a few metres away.

Dawn, Brock, and Clemont.


	23. Chapter 22: The Reunion

Chapter 22:

The Reunion

Ash gaped up the beach at the summerly clad trio, nonplussed. Dawn, her eyes wide and tearing as if disbelieving of reality, stood with a hand to her chest, tensely gripping Brock's t-shirt sleeve with her other hand. Brock only grinned, in the way he had done so many times in the past, a grin of satisfaction and pleasure, his arms folded over his chest.

Ash's heart started palpitating. Each beat was a bomb of euphoria exploding, pulsing in his veins; their serendipitous entrance did something to him he had no idea he needed. Like a stagnated tectonic plate dislodging with earth-quaking force, something shifted inside of him. Something returned to him, some lost part of his heart he hadn't noticed he had been living without. He suddenly felt revitalised; his happiness soared higher than Rayquaza, he felt re-energised after his long day, he felt the pain clinging to him ease, finally beginning to subside. Seeing the friends that hadn't betrayed him made those that did – and their actions – feel as insignificant as a raindrop in the sea.

His friends were his stitches.

Ash had no idea why they had turned up in Alola, but he didn't care, not now that he felt so alive, so renewed. He could hardly contain his rapture; he wanted to scream out loud and run at them, he needed to grab them, to know they were real, to feel their existence. He didn't register Clemont immediately.

Ash made to take a step forwards, but Dawn moved first. The navy-haired girl relinquished the hand she had grasped to Brock's sleeve and dashed forward.

"Ash!" Dawn yelled, clattering into the teen with the force of a Giga Impact, wrapping her arms around him and knocking him to the sand. "You're ok!" she wailed; Ash could hear her tears in her voice.

Ash grunted when he hit the floor, but he just laughed aloud. He must have sounded idiotic, but his heart was controlling his head. He was nothing but a vessel of delight.

"Dawn!" Ash shouted back, sitting up. Wrapping his arms around Dawn, squeezing, he couldn't help but feel relieved that she was real. "It's great to see you!"

"You have _no _idea how great it is to see you!" Dawn said, breaking the hug. "I can't believe it… We all thought…" Dawn trailed, wiping at her eyes. Then, suddenly, she fixed Ash with a stern expression. She always wore such an expression whenever they argued in the past. Lightly knocking her hand against his shoulder, Dawn said, in a tearful, exasperated tone, "Couldn't it have killed you – again – to call us?!"

Ash laughed. "I wish I could have! My Pokégear is being repaired."

"Of course, it is…" Dawn sighed, scooting back across the sand.

"Ash!" Brock yelled then, charging at him like a Golem using Rollout. He thrust his hand down to him. Grinning, Ash took Brock's hand and the older man yanked Ash's arm, causing him to yelp as he sprung onto his feet. Instead of shaking hands, Brock grabbed Ash into a hug that felt like he was stood between two boulders.

Neither he nor Brock needed to say anything more. Ash felt exactly what Brock felt, that it was more than a relief to see him again. Ash had a feeling of being reunited with family. When they broke the hug, holding one another at arm's length momentarily and grinning as if reminiscent of the bygone six years, Ash saw tears cornering Brock's eyes, much like the tears in his own.

Dawn weaved in between Brock and Ash, nudging Brock aside in the process, and gripped Ash for a proper hug this time, to which he heartily returned.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked.

"Are you _kidding_, Ash?!" Brock shouted. Ash covered his ears, cringing.

"I guess I should know the answer to that… But you came all the way out here?" Ash asked.

"Of course!" Dawn shouted this time. "We've been depressed these past few weeks! We couldn't just stay home knowing where you were!"

Ash was pleasing to hear his supposed death affected them so much. It reassured him that they were, in fact, his friends. "I'm glad to know you guys care so much," he softly said, reminiscing momentarily on those that didn't.

"Ash…" Dawn whispered, putting a hand onto his shoulder.

"Ash?" said another, third voice. Ash looked up the beach and he frowned, because beyond Brock stood Clemont; Ash finally registered him. Immediately, he was conflicted. His overzealous heart panged when he recalled what Clemont had been involved in, but he had arrived alongside Brock and Dawn, two of his best, most trustworthy friends. What did it mean?

Ash stared at Clemont's unmoving, tense person, locking eyes with his nervous, dejected ones. He turned, glanced between Brock and Dawn.

"It's ok, Ash," Brock said, nodding his head, smiling still.

"There's a good reason. He didn't want to take part," Dawn added.

Ash's tightened chest relaxed. If they trusted him and said so, there must be more to it than he had thought the entire time. Clemont must not have merely discarded his godly opinion of him as he had thought.

Somewhat eased but still tense, Ash turned back to Clemont, smiling weakly. Ash still felt saddened when he looked at Clemont, but he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that he was the same person. He wanted to believe Clemont was still his brother. He hesitated before he said, "Hey, Clemont."

Ash's words were the pull on the trigger: Clemont clumsily ran at Ash as was his unique running style. He mimicked Dawn's actions, and once again, Ash was knocked down onto the beach. Clemont was crying.

"I'm so sorry, Ash! I'm sorry!" Clemont wailed, scrambling back from his collision. "I'm sorry… I only did it to protect Bonnie…" Clemont hastily explained, his voice quieting with each word.

Ash recoiled. "Protect Bonnie?" When Clemont nodded, Ash felt even more conflicted. What had happened in his absence? Had he gotten everything wrong the entire time? He quickly discarded his thoughts. That wasn't the time to be thinking about such things, not with his friends so close by.

Easing out of the hug, Ash said, "I think I get it. But, uhh, can we talk about this somewhere else? I mean, I'd like to change out of my swimming stuff first, if that's ok."

Brock, Dawn, and Clemont all laughed together, and Brock and Dawn helped the other pair to their feet. "Of course, Ash. Where should we go?"

"We're all staying at a hotel, so that should be the best place," Ash said, suddenly remembering the stunned group behind him.

"We?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, yeah," Ash said, whirling on his heel. He sent an apologetic look at the group behind him. "These are some friends of mine: Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, and Lillie," Ash said, his lips now a never-ending grin.

The walk back to the Tide Song Hotel was very slow but, in Ash's elated opinion, perfect. Brock, Dawn, and Clemont introduced themselves to the Alola group, sharing their names and how they knew him. The Alola group looked sucker-punched at first, and they fumbled to give their names. It was probably the sudden appearance that jolted them, but they quickly settled into joviality. They seemed to bond quite easily after Brock explained that they were friends of his.

"You guys came all the way out to Alola just to see Ash? That really shows your friendship," Kiawe said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Of course. It's only natural that we came. When we received the call that he was seen here, we caught the first plane out that we could," Brock explained.

"Wait who called you?" Ash asked.

"You'll never believe it: Team Rocket," Clemont said.

"Wow," Ash huffed, "I didn't know they made up with you guys, too."

"Was there some sort of reason you were so keen to see Ash again?" Lillie asked.

"Well, umm, yeah. We thought-"

"I completely forgot that we were supposed to meet up," Ash quickly said, stopping Dawn from referencing the fact they thought he was dead. That would only confuse the situation even further.

Dawn glanced quizzically at Ash. He shook his head, trying to tell her he hadn't told them. "Yeah…" Dawn trailed. "We, umm, we were supposed to meet up with him after he returned from Kalos, but by the time we got there, he disappeared. So, we followed him out here. He probably just wanted to get exploring again really soon and forgot about our meeting; he's always been like that, headstrong and reckless."

Ash sighed. He was in a place now where he had come to terms with the whole situation himself, but he didn't know how well he would cope with talking about it, especially to his new friends, even if they would undoubtedly be doting in response.

"In fact, he's so reckless that, when I first met Ash, he jumped off a tree, climbed up a giant robot while being attacked by a bunch of flailing arms, and even got caught up in an explosion when the robot blew up," Dawn explained, laughing to herself.

"Seriously?!" Kiawe asked, glancing at Ash who looked sheepishly back at their shocked grins.

"Well, I did it to save Pikachu so…"

Lillie laughed genially to herself next. "I had a similar first meeting with Ash. He came to my aid when I was in trouble. He saved me and ended up falling down a ravine."

"How come we've never heard that story?" Mallow asked.

"Are you some sort of superhero, Ash?" Lana asked.

Embarrassed, Ash rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. "Ah, come on. I'm nothing like that. I'm just a guy who loves Pokémon."

"It's true," Clemont said, "that's just Ash for you. When I met him, he climbed up a giant tower to save a Garchomp and _literally_ jumped off to catch Pikachu."

"What?!" his new friends cried.

Slightly overwhelmed by embarrassment, Ash allowed the others to continue tattling on his heroics. He threw his arms behind his head and glanced at Pikachu, who was smirking on his shoulder. He grinned too. He wouldn't say it, but the way they praised him was encouraging.

As they turned the corner towards the Tide Song Hotel, Lana asked something that made Ash panic somewhat.

"I am curious though. How come you three acted so emotional when you saw Ash just now? I mean, that was some hug, Dawn. You're not his girlfriend or something, are you?" Lana asked, mischievously flicking her eyes around the group, at Dawn, at Ash, at Mallow.

"Lana!" Mallow cried, sounding exasperated.

"What?! No, no, of course not! We're just best friends. Neither Brock nor I have seen Ash in a few years. We were just _very_ excited to see him," Dawn explained.

"But, umm, how come you were apologising, Clemont?" Lillie asked, a surprising voice; it was rare that Lillie questioned people, but Ash remembered she was very observant.

"Oh…" Clemont muttered, looking down as they walked through the hotel doors.

"We… kinda left on bad terms," Ash said.

"I see," Lillie muttered.

Thankful he missed the bullet, Ash turned away from the group behind him, heading for the stairs. Instead, he connected with a pair of eyes from the settees in the corner of the lobby. It was Hala, accompanied by Professor Kukui and Hau. Ash changed direction and walked towards them, and then he noticed it. Hala's stare was sterner and more forced than a Glare, making him uneasy in his approach. Kukui and Hala were looking at him as if they had seen him commit a murder, while Hau just looked confused. Kiawe was the first to walk over and greet them, then the others followed. Ash was last – except Brock, Dawn, and Clemont – because the adults' eyes unsettled him. They looked only at him.

Kukui and Hala civilly parried the rest of the party when Ash stopped in front of them, greeting them.

"Ash… Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Hala sternly asked, straight to the point. The air depressed around them, tensing.

"Uhh, sure. We can go to our room," Ash said, turning to Lillie. "Could I have the key please, Lillie?"

"No, no, no need for that. I would like everybody to come with us. This concerns us all. Please lead the way," Hala said.

Slowly, Ash nodded and led the group to their room. Whence inside, Hala instructed everybody to get comfortable while he lay some sheets of paper on the desk and shuffled through them. Most of the people took their seats on the beds, some on the floor. Kukui remained standing, peering out across the balcony until everybody was settled.

The room was a lot tenser now as if it were a Pokémon using Endure. Ash felt like he was waiting for the verdict of a trial: everybody flicked their eyes at one another, questions lurking in their expressions. Ash swallowed thickly, waiting.

A long minute later, Hala spun around, a piece of paper clasped in his hands. He stared straight at Ash again. "Ash Ketchum," Hala said, "who are you?"

"Hala, c'mon," Kukui said, but quietened when Hala rose his hand.

Glancing across all his friends, who eyed him with the same bewilderment he wore, Ash lay his gaze back on Hala. "I–I don't get what you mean. I'm just me – Ash Ketchum. That's who I am."

"I suppose the real question should be are you truly Ash Ketchum?" Hala asked.

"You shoulda just started with that," Kukui muttered.

"What?" Ash asked, bewildered. "Of course, I am."

"I apologise for such an outlandish question out of nowhere, but Kukui and I have come across something that questions that fact," Hala said, flipping the page in his hands around.

Pulled forwards by a single string of curiosity, everybody leaned in to read it, something Ash did very slowly. He read aloud. "Aspiring Pokémon Trainer, Ash Ketchum, found… dead after… Pallet Town catastrophe…" He finished reading in a whisper, his sky-high heart dropping into a pit because he knew that, now they had revealed that piece of information, he had to explain. He didn't want to relive it again as he did in his dreams. Did he have a choice?

"Ash," Mallow said, slowly, "what does this mean?"

"What does the article mean you're thought to be dead?" Lillie asked, confliction flickering in her expression.

"Are you not Ash Ketchum?" Kiawe asked in a low voice.

Ash didn't reply right away. He hid his head in his hands and inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down because he could taste the foreign distrust. He couldn't believe how quickly his emotions had changed that day, from content to overzealous to depressed. But he steeled himself. Bouncing his knee and tapping his foot, he prepared to tell them.

This was it. The moment he had been dreading for a long time. He knew his friends had to find out eventually, but this was not the way he had wanted them to.

"Hang on–" Brock started.

"It's ok, Brock," Ash said, dropping his hands. He looked grieved behind his mask. "I am Ash Ketchum," Ash slowly said, his voice wavering. The room itself sighed at the unveiling, some iota of the murky tension disappearing.

"That's a relief," Kukui said, taking his seat now. Hala remained standing.

"But what does this mean?" Hala asked, gesturing the sheet.

Ash inhaled and exhaled deeply. This was it. He glanced around the room once more. In the corner, Brock and Dawn gave him sympathy. He smiled weakly.

"When I met Lillie and Professor Kukui I told them that I came to Alola because I was on holiday or something like that. That… wasn't true. I came for a different reason. I–" Ash paused, looked at the ground, gripped a fist.

"What was your reason, Ash?" Lillie softly asked. Ash looked up at her and smiled again.

"I–I ran away," Ash said.

"What from?" Kiawe asked.

"Everything. My previous life, my old friends, my old Pokémon, my home. My Mum…" Ash sighed, wiping at his eyes. "Right. Ok." Ash exhaled. He shook himself, Pikachu slipped down onto the bed. "I came back from the Kalos region after competing in the Pokémon League there. I greeted my mum, everything was fine, it was all good, perfect even. But then I went to Professor Oak's lab and… things didn't stay that way."

Pausing, momentarily, Ash explained as much to them as he felt was needed. He explained the way his friends berated him, how they tried to get him to stop being a trainer, their exact words when branding him a failure, then the attack on Pallet Town. He didn't explain about Serena or the fact that he could understand his Pokémon.

"Repeating it now," Ash continued, "it sounds childish, not something I should be so sad over. I fled my old life just because people criticized me. It's just… they were some of my closest friends. It hurt. It really hurt. Especially when my dream is so much bigger than they knew."

"No, Ash," Mallow muttered, shaking her head, placing her hand delicately on his upper-arm, "it's not childish. I would want to get away if everybody here turned against me."

Ash smiled lightly as thanks for her reassurance. "After the attack, I left Pallet and went straight to the airport and bought a ticket for the furthest region I could find. And I came to Alola, met Samson and Lillie, battled in the festival, and here we are now. I don't know exactly where this headline came from, but my guess is that it's something Professor Oak concocted when I wasn't found anywhere in the wreckage."

"We can explain that," Brock said, raising his hand almost sheepishly. "I think he did it to try and protect himself. If Ash was thought to be dead, all of his bad deeds wouldn't be looked into properly by the authorities."

"Bad deeds?" Kiawe asked.

Brock nodded. "See, for a few of the people that took part, Oak blackmailed them to do it. Clemont here was one of those people: Oak threatened to harm his little sister if he didn't comply."

"Is that the bad situation the pair of you left off on, then?" Lana asked.

"That's right," Clemont said. "When Dawn and a few other of Ash's loyal friends – Gary, Paul, and Barry – confronted Oak, I got the chance to escape. I went right to Brock and Delia – Ash's mother – and explained everything. We got Bonnie out, and got some answers from Oak."

"Really?" Ash quickly asked. That was the one thing he had been missing: answers. He needed to know the reason Oak did everything and why everybody decided to turn against him in such a way.

Dawn nodded. "Apparently, Oak wanted to experiment on or with you for your Bond Phenomenon."

"That's the reason?" Ash asked, feeling slightly underwhelmed. If that was the case, why didn't Oak just ask?

"What's Ash's Bond Phenomenon?" Lillie asked.

"Oh, right. Basically, over in Kalos, I developed an ability with one of my Pokémon called the Bond Phenomenon. We connected on such a deep level that that Pokémon would undergo a physical change as a result and would increase in power," Ash explained.

"Your Greninja…" Kukui muttered, a misty, excited glint in his eye.

"That's right."

"Actually, according to Oak, it's an ability that the trainer has rather than the Pokémon," Clemont added.

"It is, huh?" Ash asked. That would explain a lot of things, such as his ability to decipher Pokémon dialect.

"That was the reason he gave but I don't believe it," Brock said, folding his arms. "It's too generic, too weightless. He could have just asked. That's not a reason to betray somebody's trust and try to ruin their lifestyle. Heck, he's been arrested for something that silly. I can't help feeling like there's something more to it."

"Hmm, maybe there is…" Ash said. "Anyway, that's it. That's everything that's happened to me recently."

Hesitant to do so before, Ash glanced around the room. It was a room of solemn sorrow: his friends looked at him with obvious sadness and sympathy and the room was no longer tense but tangibly depressed. It was so silent in the next few minutes that Ash could hear the waves rolling against the rockface outside the window, that he could hear the distant Hoothoot.

Hala was the first to speak. He sighed deeply, rubbing his eyes. "Firstly, I must apologise, Ash," Hala said regretfully. "I made a wild accusation without knowing anything."

"It's ok," Ash said. "I can understand your caution."

"No, I am an Island Kahuna, I must remain composed at all times. It was unbefitting of me. And secondly, I am sorry that you had to undergo such hardships. I had no idea you were experiencing such a thing when we first met."

Ash weakly smiled at that. He must have hidden it better than he originally thought.

Brock cleared his throat. "Now that that's over, Ash, I think there's somebody you need to talk to. We can talk about the whole Oak situation later, fill you in on more, but for now, take my phone book and go call your mother on the hotel phone. She's been worried sick."

Ash sprang up from the bed, his mood reverting yet again. "You have her number?! Brock, you're awesome! I've been so worried since I haven't been able to contact her. I'll be back in a few!" Ash said, snatching the book and dashing out of the room. He left so quickly for two reasons: to contact his mother as he said, but to get away from the tenseness. Nobody reacted poorly to the situation, but the atmosphere had been taxing. He just needed to get out and have time by himself.

The desk attendant received a real fright when Ash flew through the lobby, shouting about borrowing one of the phones. He flicked through Brock's book and found his mother's name listed in the important numbers section. Punching in the numbers, the phone began to ring. A moment later, the phone beeped, and the screen flashed on, revealing his mother on the other end, glancing away from him.

Ash teared up instantly because of his relief and emotion. She was unharmed for one thing. For the other, he had desperately missed her. His pledge to stay home had been destroyed along with Pallet, and for that, he felt somewhat guilty.

"Brock! Have you found Ash yet?" Delia asked, unaware.

Ash smiled. "Hi, Mum."

Quick as a Ninjask, Delia flicked her head towards the screen and a sound of shattering china made her flinch. She must have been making food or something, but now her attention was away from whatever it was she was doing and back on Ash. Just like him, she started crying.

"Ash! Oh Arceus, you're ok! It's amazing to see you! I've been terrified – heck, I thought you died!" Delia wept, smiling much larger than she had been when they reunited after Kalos.

"It's great to see you too."

Delia then exploded with questions. "Are you ok? You're not hurt, are you? I heard about what happened with Samuel and the rest of them, I'm so sorry. How did you get all the way out to Alola? What have you been up to this past month? Why didn't you contact me?!"

Wiping at his eyes, Ash laughed. "Yeah, I'm ok Mum. It's great to see you. I completely forgot the house number and my Pokégear was broken. Otherwise, I would have contacted you."

"Oh, Ash… You kids are too reliant on technology! I can't believe this!"

With that, Ash spent the next few hours talking with his mother about anything and everything. It was late into the night already, but he relished the time he could spend with her. By the time they ended the call, it was gone one in the morning and Ash was exhausted. His day had been tiring, but beautiful. He returned to his room with a grin on his face.

* * *

After Ash left the room, everything remained silent for a good amount of time. If everybody was doing as Lillie was, they were pondering the entire situation.

She had never suspected any such incidents had happened to Ash. He was such a caring, carefree soul that he didn't display anything remotely resembling sadness. Ash had said earlier that such a situation was childish, but Lillie disagreed. She couldn't imagine Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Sophocles, Hau, and Ash deciding that they would criticise her and decide to go against everything she believed in. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have been demeaned by her closest friends. Ash had suffered a truly heart-breaking situation.

Dawn, Brock, and Clemont were the first to leave to book rooms for themselves. They left with parting words asking them not to judge Ash for keeping it a secret. They didn't need to; Lillie would never do such a thing, and she knew the others wouldn't either, just as they replied. Hala and Kukui were next, retiring to their lodgings on Akala for the night looking disappointed in themselves.

When the group of friends were the only ones left, they exchanged a few words. Mallow looked despaired as if her heart had been squeezed tightly. She said that she couldn't believe it, that she should have noticed it. Kiawe said the same thing, berating himself for being so oblivious. Lana tried to calm them down alongside Hau, explaining how well Ash had hidden it. But their words got Lillie thinking. She held a secret too. A secret that none of them had even suspected in the slightest. She considered whether she was doing something bad keeping it to herself. Her friends may feel awful about themselves if they found out.

Everybody else decided to leave after they had come to terms with everything, which took about an hour. They decided that the best course of action was to talk with Ash in the morning. That left Lillie alone. She quickly showered again – seeing as the day had been hot and she had been active – and she slipped into bed.

But Lillie didn't fall asleep, not for a long while. She continued thinking, about her situation and Ash's. Despite Hala's prompt, Ash had been strong enough to open up about his problem rather than lying to avoid it. She wondered if she should do the same soon, but the thought terrified her.

Ash returned to the room early into the morning when Lillie had not even started to feel tired. He too took a quick shower and slipped into bed as quietly as he could; Lillie heard him whispering to Pikachu, assuring his partner that he was ok and asking him to keep quiet in case he woke her. Lillie couldn't keep quiet anymore. She sat up and turned towards him.

"I'm awake. You don't have to worry, Ash," Lillie said.

"Oh. How come you're still awake, Lillie?" Ash asked, sitting up too.

"I have just been thinking about some things."

"Does any of your thinking concern me at all?" Ash asked, hesitantly it seemed.

"Umm, yes, a little bit. But it isn't anything bad. I–I just admire your bravery to explain everything. But are you ok, Ash? What you have been dealing with is quite painful psychologically," Lillie said.

"Honestly?" Ash paused to release a sigh. He flopped back onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. "Yeah, I think I am. As much as I wanted to tell everyone, I've been terrified of talking about the situation because I didn't know how people would react. I mean, you saw Hala's face when we first arrived. I don't know what I expected, but you all reacted so nicely to it I can't help feeling happy. Plus, I've got some of my old friends with me, and I know my mum is ok. There's still a lot to deal with, but it's like this big relief has hit me, you know?"

Lillie nodded her head, even though Ash wouldn't be able to see it. "I think I know what you mean," she said. If that was the case for Ash, she wondered if it would be the same for her. "I-I'm just happy that you are ok."

"Thank you, Lillie. You're one of the kindest people I know," Ash said, lying side on to glance over at her. "I think I just needed to talk about the situation and have people around me that would understand."

"Yes, maybe you're right…" Lillie muttered, once more thinking of her situation.

"Anyway, I think I'm gonna head to sleep. I don't wanna be a zombie in the morning."

"Ok," Lillie said, giggling to herself. "Goodnight, Ash."

"Goodnight, Lillie."


	24. Chapter 23: The Truth

Chapter 23:

The Truth

Red didn't know how to express his relief. He was never one to prance in circles around the room, throwing yells out to the world, like Blue. He didn't squeal with joy and hug everything in the vicinity, like Yellow. But Ash was alive, and he felt like doing just that; he had listened to his and Delia's conversation from the background, keeping out of the way because he didn't want his first meeting with Ash to be over the phone. That was no way to introduce himself to his son. Red envisaged a more emotional scene, the whole family coming together.

Delia switched off the monitor after Ash and swivelled to face Red. Her expression mirrored the one she wore the day they got married: lines of cheery tears sparkling on her cheeks, complete happiness in her eyes. Red couldn't just sit there. Instead of performing like an idiot — no offence to his friends — he slipped onto the settee and pulled her into a tight hug, grinning himself.

"I'm so relieved…" Delia said.

"I know," Red whispered. His voice still sounded foreign to him. "Me too."

Several timeless minutes passed between them, neither growing bored with each other's comfort. Red had missed it. He really had missed it. Sixteen years without being able to hug Delia… He didn't know how he had survived.

The long-lived hug only ended when Delia lifted her hand and wiped at her cheeks, and Red backed away to make it easier for her.

"I'm so glad," Delia repeated.

"What should we do now?"

Delia straightened out her dress, "I think it's time."

"Are you sure you want to go now?" Red quietly asked. "You did say to wait until we hear from Ash, but is it too soon?"

"No," Delia said, "not at all. We have to do this, especially now that we know he's safe. Let's go and see Samuel."

It was a decision they and Blue made the day after Brock, Dawn, and Clemont left. Seeing as their son was involved in the case against Oak, it was only natural they were to be questioned, but Red wanted a direct audience with the professor one last time.

Truthfully, Red had wanted to meet with Oak immediately after the arrest, after he had time to think, to reflect and piece together the inconsistencies in the story, the unreliability. But the news of Ash being alive had paused that idea. Now, after the confirmation of his son's safety, Oak's hidden agenda was the only thing on his mind. Oak had given them a reason for his actions, but that reason didn't match the man's nature, his logical mind and methodical thinking. He was hiding something. Red knew he was.

"If you're sure, then we'll go. I'll call Officer Jenny to prepare for our arrival. I hope he gives us the answers we're looking for," Red said, adjusting his hat on his head. Red grabbed Delia's coat as they headed out the door.

* * *

It was excruciating. A constant ache. Ash's death was the most painful ordeal she had ever experienced. She had cried every day so far without anyone for comfort, no arms to hold her, no words to comfort her, hidden away in a side-room in the bleak lab, to which she returned after Oak was taken away.

There was confusion too, interweaved with the hurt and the guilt, creating a taut, woeful net around her heart. Since Ash's mother arrived to confront them and she learned the truth, Serena Yvonne felt as though a thick layer of mist had cleared from around her heart and her head. As if she had awakened from a dream, a trance, been blasted with a mental Defog. It was something she had felt before, but from where and when, she couldn't remember.

Despite the confusion, she felt like herself again, only she held memories of events she didn't commit to and remembered words she hadn't wanted to say. And yet in her memories, she committed to and said what she hadn't wanted to. Why did she say Calem was her boyfriend? Why did she _act _like he was? Why did she hesitate and decide against siding with Ash? Her last conscious memory was her rigidly believing that she would stick by Ash through everything. So why had everything changed? She was completely confused and knowing she did those deeds willingly made her feel even worse.

Yesterday, she watched her most recent Poké-Vision for the first time during a period of intense boredom. She remembered making it but watching it now felt wrong. The version of her in the video was a completely different person. She was strong, dealing with the situation, she was coping. But she believed in something fake. Serena wasn't the girl in the video. She wasn't strong, she wasn't 'living life to the fullest' because of 'life's fleeting nature'. She wasn't coping. She was sinking.

Her period of dejection subsided and Serena, clad in her baggy pyjamas, entered the bathroom to clean herself up. She looked at herself in the mirror, not even flinching at her red forlorn eyes, watery cheeks, nor her dishevelled bedhead that had grown out some more, tied together with the blue-ribbon Ash had given her – her memento. Up until a few weeks ago, she would have panicked and rapidly plundered her bag for her hairbrush whilst running the tap or the shower, but it didn't matter anymore.

She only wiped her eyes dry before wandering back into her room. She didn't need to care about being seen. The rest of the people temporarily lodging in the lab, cramping it, had finally left for home, returning to their daily lives as if nothing had happened. She couldn't bring herself to do as they had. It wasn't comfortable, but something was keeping her tethered to the place, preventing her from leaving. Luckily, the small wing in which she had been staying remained intact, and construction hadn't continued since Oak's departure. She felt like she was intruding, but Oak had given them all permission to stay there, so she wasn't too worried.

Nibbling on some macarons leftover from her attempt to distract herself a few days before, Serena worked a brush in her other hand, combing her Braixen's silky fur. Absently, but stylishly.

"What should I do, Braixen?" Serena asked, straightening the last frayed hair on her sleek tail, moving to brush behind her ears. "Everything's so confusing. I feel like I've been living a lie… I'm sure you've been very confused too." Braixen purred in probable agreement. "…I really don't know what happened."

Sighing, Serena stopped combing. Braixen looked at her, her fiery eyes brimming with concern. Serena shook her head, glancing out the window across from her into Pallet Town, where the construction work was swiftly progressing on the decimated village. Voices barking orders and the laughter in the fresh morning air were distant echoes. She found herself watching the scene a lot the past few days. The friendliness between the people was everything she had lost because of the incident. She hadn't interacted with anyone else since either. She had lost more than Ash.

Today, two people were walking her way. More specifically, heading towards the forest by a route near the lab. Serena realised in a panic that it was Delia and Red Ketchum. She ducked below the window, startling her Fire-Type partner. There was no possible way that they would see her, but she wasn't ready to face them. She desperately wanted to, to try and explain, to try and make up for everything, but she didn't have the courage nor the whole story. It was as if everything Ash had instilled in her had been drained. She didn't have that powerful resolve anymore, the one that allowed her to kiss him despite her heart beating fast enough for a heart attack.

Serena was hiding because she didn't think she could face them. After all, she could hardly face herself. But she wanted to face herself. So, she got up from beneath the windowsill, resolved to do something more productive with her day. She had to. That was the only way she was going to get better.

* * *

Officer Jenny met them outside Viridian Police Station, nodding dutifully. She led them inside after confirming they were who they said. The only reason they had been allowed the meeting was Red's status. Being a previous Champion of the region granted him special privileges. All they had to do was explain who Red was, and why he wasn't as dead as they believed.

Jenny stopped outside a room with a black door and no external windows. A cell without bars. "Sorry, but we can only let one of you go in," she said.

"You go," Delia said, looking only at Red. "I will wait by the entrance."

Red nodded. He glanced at Jenny, nodding again. He wished he could get some words out, say something in thanks, but he couldn't. Jenny returned the gesture, passed him a notebook and pen from her jacket, and unlocked the door.

"Just so you know, we haven't gotten anything new out of him. Nothing at all. He sticks to the same story you said he told you: the thing about research. Something about a Phenomenon. I don't understand it, but I'm sure it makes sense to you. You don't have long, either, in case anybody else comes in. Oh, and I've disabled the cameras and microphones as you asked, but I'm taking a big risk doing this. If you weren't a previous Champion, I would never do so. Are you sure it'll convince him to talk?"

Red nodded only once and stepped through the door.

On the other side, the room was as pale and plain as a cinder block, with one camera pointing at the centre of the room. A metal table and two metal chairs, all bolted to the floor, was the only decoration. Therein sat Samuel Oak, looking uneasy. His eyes lifted from the floor and rested on Red after the door clanged behind him with the metallic ring of a jail cell door. His expression softened to mild contentment. Almost relief.

"Red…" Oak muttered. Red took the seat opposite and fixed him with a stare. He broke it, only to scribble a few words into his notebook.

_Hello, Professor._

"Why are you here?"

_Need you ask? _Red wrote. Then, _Why did you do it?_

"Did I not tell you the last time we met?"

_I don't believe you, _Red wrote.

"And why is that?" Oak asked.

_You're more thoughtful than that. It wasn't just for research, was it?_

"I will admit I am still curious about the phenomenon," Oak said. Red raised his brows questioningly, asking for Oak to be serious without words. Oak sighed. "If there was another reason, why would I keep it a secret?"

Red fell back into his chair, staring at his opponent, whose expression denoted nothing. Red scribbled in his notebook again.

_Because you wanted to hide the truth and protect yourself. You've done things that can't be uncovered without reliable evidence. Evidence that we don't have._

"I had forgotten how sharp you were. You're just as logical as I am." Oak sighed again, leaning forwards to rest against the table. "It has been too long. How are you alive?"

_It doesn't matter. _Red flipped the page._ Oak, the cameras and mics are turned off. It's just the two of us here._

Oak's expression shifted as he read the message, from stoic to something Red had never before seen on the man: stressed.

"…How did you pull that off?" Oak asked in a voice that was not his. But it sounded more compliant.

_I have a few perks._

Oak chuckled weakly. "Of course, you do. You're the undefeated Champion after all." He sighed, resting his forehead on his hands.

The room remained silent for a moment.

_Well? _Red wrote.

"Did you ever believe my original story?" Red shrugged. "I see. Yes, I don't suppose you would have when you had time to think. And what makes you believe I will tell you when I have kept quiet this whole time?"

_Because it's me. _

Oak chuckled again, more heartily this time. "I suppose so. You are right, of course. I had no plans of telling anybody about this. You are the only person I would have told, but I thought you were dead. Seeing as you are alive, I have somebody I can trust." Oak paused.

_Why didn't you say anything before?_

"I had circumstances to consider. I will explain later. Now, I don't know if you will believe anything that I have to say, but I _will_ tell you the truth. This ties back to you, as well. I have no reason to lie," Oak said.

Red sat forwards, the steel of the chair creaking. He flexed his fingers around the pen, concentrating on Oak's every word.

"I am by no means a good person," Oak began, his voice cracking, "but the reason I previously gave – using Ash for research – is a lie. Honestly, I made it up by looking back on our history together. As they say, we as humans are doomed to repeat our mistakes. I assume that likeness to our past is what tipped you off about it being a lie?"

Red nodded. As Oak said the day of his explanation, he too had the same ability as Ash. Had he not, his selective mutism would have made his Pokémon training significantly more difficult. Many years ago, unlike his methods towards Ash, Oak had asked Red directly to be a research subject for him. Only, Red decided to turn Oak down in the past because he was having too much fun adventuring. He hadn't wanted to be tied down. Then, as an adult, Oak requested again, but Delia was pregnant with Ash, so he had turned him down again to commit to his family. Even so, Oak _asked_. There was no way his ethos would have changed in Ash's case.

"So, you did notice."

_Only after I calmed down after punching you. I was too angry at the time, but it was obvious when I thought about it. I'm sure I'm not the only one to realise the reason was fake. _

Oak sighed again. "I see. Well, believe whatever you will, but the reason I decided to try and ruin Ash's desire to be a Pokémon Master – no, a trainer itself, is because… I wanted to keep him at home. No, I _needed_ to keep him at home, under my surveillance. I… tried to get Ash to stop being a trainer because I wanted to protect him."

All Red did was frown. He felt surprised, confused, but strangely he believed what Oak said immediately. He took a moment to think. Protect Ash from what, though? As far as he knew, the only threat Ash had been under recently was the crisis in Kalos which had long since concluded and the Team Rocket trio endlessly stalking him, which was trivial at best. They weren't issues worthy of immediate protection.

_But then what is Oak talking about?_ Red wondered, twiddling the pen in his fingers. He said a moment ago that it was linked to him as well, which only complicated the issue. How was it linked to him? He had been away from Ash his entire life. The only incident that could somewhat link to Ash was when he was forced to disappear.

Red's writing hand froze. The realisation punched him with the power of a Dynamic Punch. It all made sense.

"What are you thinking?" Oak asked, hesitantly.

Red took his notebook, his hand shaking, and held it up. _I believe you_.

"I see," Oak said, exhaling. "From the look on your face, it shows that you've thought of something."

Red glared. He slapped the notebook onto the desk and quickly wrote another message. _How did they find him?_

"…It was a matter of circumstance. No, perhaps history repeating itself. Your son is so much more like you than you realise. Heck, for years he had Team Rocket grunts following him around to every region. I am sure Delia told you of this?" Oak said.

Red nodded. _What do you mean by circumstance?_ Red wrote, shoving the notebook in Oak's face.

"Just as you travelled every region throughout your travels, taking out criminal groups along the way, Ash has done the very same, albeit less intentionally than yourself. As I said, history repeating itself. The same thing that happened to you would have happened to Ash had he not stayed at the lab or 'died'. As for how they found him…" Oak looked down. "The same way they found you."

Red fell back into his chair. Oak finally confirmed it, the one answer Red had so vehemently denied the last few years. He had told himself there was no way that would be the case. There was no way that Oak had been the one. But he was only lying, trying to believe a fantasy. He shakily reached for his pen and put one more message on the paper.

_It was you._

Oak nodded, his face screwing up as if his very skin was anguished. "I am the reason that you had to spend sixteen years away from Delia. I am the reason you have never met your son. I am the reason… Ash grew up never having his father with him. I ruined your family's lives… So, I-I tried my best to act as his father figure in your place. But, of course, it never fit," Oak said. He smiled sadly and huffed a tiny, weak chuckle.

"When I found out they discovered he was your son in addition to everything else that was motivating them, I had to act. But, remember, I am not a good person. I've made mistakes. I ruined your family even though I feel you are as much my family as Blue and Gary. I framed my cousin simply because he uncovered everything I did and was going to expose me. I don't understand how you learned of that, but I'm assuming that was what Blue threatened me with the other day, the thing you told him and Delia. I've done awful things, Red. As such, I tried to play the villain to save Ash. Even if that meant being hated by him…"

Red believed him, but he couldn't believe the situation. The very reason for his recent life being one endless heartache sat directly in front of him. But then he couldn't believe himself either. He should have been angry, frustrated, he should have hated Oak. But he felt nothing. No anger. No frustration. No hatred. Nothing but curiosity because Oak was silently crying.

_You took over the news channel and presented that article on Ash's death to send them a message, didn't you? It was to tell them that he was gone, that there was no need for whatever they were planning. It was to throw them off._

"…Two times they contacted me. The first caused your situation, along with my own selfish anger. This time when they found out Ash was related to you, I had to do all I could to convince them against their plans for Ash. I was stumped. I thought that by making Ash stop being a trainer, they would be satisfied enough and just go back to their lives. But the attack on Pallet gave me the perfect opportunity, so in the mix-up, I made that article. I took advantage of the situation. I know Ash is probably alive somewhere – that's why I haven't acted sad – but I had to do it. I was lucky he disappeared. That was probably in response to my earlier plan…"

_So, by manipulating the girl he loved, and threatening his best friends and his Pokémon, you tried to make him give up in order to protect him, to hide him from them. To prevent history from repeating itself…_

Oak read the message slowly as if comprehending his actions for the first time. "Yes," he said. "Some of his Pokémon agreed, and some I threatened to release if they didn't. I mean, I assume. Nobody would truly know but you. I cannot say why some of his friends agreed, but please do not think ill of some of them, at least."

_Why?_

"Because two of them are not at fault, and two of them knew the truth," Oak said.

_Who?_

"First, Clemont, and his sister I should say, so five people I suppose. You already know of that situation. I must reiterate that I did not harm his sister. It was them."

_Makes sense._

"The second – or third because of Bonnie – is Serena, the girl in love with Ash. It is true what I said: I had Calem act like Ash in the hopes of manipulating her feelings."

_But how did you manipulate her feelings? Just acting like somebody else shouldn't be enough to make someone betray someone they love so much._

"Of course, it wasn't. You can't change a person's feelings for somebody simply by acting like them. The human mind isn't that fickle. It can't be changed that easily. But, of course, she was too emotional to realise that." Oak stopped speaking. It looked like he was having a difficult time getting his words out. "You should know this, but Pokémon can be detained too if the law has been broken, much like we humans can be arrested."

_Naturally,_ Red wrote.

"And what crime is the most common reason for a Pokémon to be arrested?"

Red could see where his explanation was heading. _You didn't…._

Oak nodded slowly. "Indeed. This is the part I am least proud of. I ordered Calem to use Psychic-Type moves on her. Wild Psychic-Type Pokémon are the most commonly detained type of Pokémon because they manipulate human minds for fun. It is their nature… Especially Drowzee and Hypno."

For the first time since his entrance, Red was angry. He was furious. He had to clench his fists against the desk to stop himself leaping for Oak again. He had experienced Psychic-Type manipulation in the past – it was a lot more common than people thought, albeit in less intense cases – but it was a heinous crime if prompted by a human. To use such a thing on a sixteen-year-old girl…

"She grew acquainted with Calem over in Hoenn by my order; it wasn't difficult to convince him. I told him to introduce himself as an old friend of Ash's to make sure she trusted him. Then, he delivered the news about 'surprising Ash' and they flew over. I tried having him make advances on her, but, naturally, they all failed. So, when she disagreed with my plan, I had her come to my study. During our conversation I had Calem use a Hypno's powers. By doing so, all I did was make her believe two things: she loved Calem and that betraying Ash was the only way to save him. That was all I needed to do. I hypnotised her. As a result, everything Calem said was gospel to her. I am quite surprised, though. It didn't work completely. She was able to resist."

Red glared at Oak. _Hypnosis is a serious crime, _he wrote.

"I am well aware. As much as it is a large part of our society in Pokémon battling, hypnosis used on trainers is taboo. Why do you think I didn't mention this previously? Also, why do you think I did not tell Jenny this story? As much as I know I should be, I cannot be convicted knowing Ash is still in danger. But please don't involve Calem. It was my fault. I took advantage of him. I was prepared to do anything. Moreover, don't worry about Serena. As I'm sure you know, awareness is the weakness of Psychic-Type manipulation, so the fact that she knows she was manipulated – even without knowing it was via such methods – means she is free."

_What prompted that idea, of all things?_

"Desperation, for one thing. Then, I suppose you could say the past. Delia has been a victim of similar actions once when she was forced to believe she was another girls' mother. Ash as well, on many of his journeys. Heck, even I have had my mind tampered with. It is more common than people realise, and it is a very real issue. I have witnessed it many times, and it was the only thing I could think of."

…_Who were the last two? Who knew the truth? _Red asked, feeling sick of hearing about it.

"When you came to question me, there were two people who said nothing, correct? Drew and May? May knew the truth the entire time, hence why she never truly acted sad at Ash's 'death'."

_That would explain why Clemont saw them making out as if nothing happened… He wasn't too happy with that._

Oak laughed. "I wouldn't think so. Anyway, May, undecided at first but leaning towards disagreeing with me, happened upon… a certain scene. I had to tell her the truth, which is why she and Drew said nothing. I urged May to, so she must have done the same with Drew. That pairing was the second instigators of the 'betrayal'. After that, everyone got involved too, led by their words. That was on purpose."

_What scene? Who was the last person?_

"May saw Ritchie being attacked. It wasn't me, but _them_. Hence, Ritchie and Bonnie's injuries. At least they had the decency to keep Bonnie's minor…"

_What the hell has been going on in my absence? _

"Indeed. The last person in-the-know was Misty, the one who said she wanted Ash to come home. She and Serena were the most difficult to convince, and of course, I could not use the same methods as with Serena. I did think she harboured similar feelings for Ash, but it turned out she has moved past her crush; thus, I couldn't do the same."

_So, Gary and Brock were wrong before…_

"Oh? They thought the same, did they? It seems we all believe Ash is some sort of unconscious ladies' man," Oak said, chuckling to himself. It was odd to hear a joke in that situation. "Anyhow, the fact that she no longer held such feelings, alongside the attack on Ritchie, made me panic. I couldn't let that happen again, not to kids, so I told her the truth one night. She was the last that needed convincing. As such, the testimony she gave of wanting Ash to stay home was true. She was completely devoted to the idea, hence why she was the first person to start slandering Ash when we put our plan in motion. Again, it was on purpose."

_You planned this out way too thoroughly. Why didn't you tell everyone this instead of concocting some stupid plan? Hell, why didn't you tell Ash? _Red wrote. He showed it to Oak, then realised why. He pulled his hand back and started writing. _They were there weren't—_

"Indeed, they were present the whole time," Oak said, eying the page while Red wrote. "How do you think they were so quick to act with Ritchie and to threaten Clemont into submission with Bonnie? Spies were there the whole time, in the background, making sure I was keeping in line. They thought I was doing it to present Ash to them, so when somebody stepped out of line, they acted. It was difficult to tell Misty and May, and that is the reason they haven't come forward with anything yet."

Red paused once again to consider everything he said. Manipulation, blackmail, threats, violence… How was his son in the centre of such a situation?

_That is the truth, isn't it? _Red wrote, only to confirm it once more.

"That is the whole truth. I couldn't say this around the lab in case they were watching. I even had to pretend to be furious as I was dragged away by the police to give them a good show, to convince them. Your punch did a very good job of that, I must say. But please, do not tell anybody but Delia, and do not revoke the message of Ash's death. If you do, they will try to find him, all to get revenge on the one person who thwarted all of their plans," Oak said. "Well, the second person. They believe you are dead, after all."

Red nodded, but it was fake. He had to tell one other person beside Delia.

Red prepared his pen to write. _Tell me everything_.

For the next ten minutes, Oak recounted the entire situation in as much detail as he could. Much of it, Red had already heard but he copied it down anyway. Oak explained how he sent messages to Ash's friends to coax them to him. A new piece of information was that some of Ash's friends – Brock, Gary, and Dawn mainly - knew when Ash was returning so questioned why Oak wanted them there so early. Due to their scepticism, Oak had had to pitch his plan to them earlier than the others. He repeated how he tried to convince those that wouldn't agree via the methods he previously stated. More new information came when he explained the people in the background, watching, acting in Oak's 'aid'. He explained that they all backed off after the attack, following Oak's fictitious article, leaving a few to linger and watch Oak a bit longer.

Then, he went back and explained the past, the one thing Red desired to know most of all. The more he explained it, the more answers Red gained, the more he could connect everything in his head. Finally, he knew everything.

A knock sounding on the door ended Oak's explanation abruptly, but Red knew enough to finish his notes. He nodded his head once more and scribbled a final message on the notebook. He showed it to Oak before tapping on the door.

Officer Jenny let him out. When the door clanged shut, Jenny tried to ask questions, but he wrote on a blank page that Oak kept to the same story as he had told her. Jenny cursed and allowed him to find Delia at the entrance. Red didn't return the notebook.

Red finally had the answers he had been searching for, both for himself and his son. He didn't hate Oak for what he had done in the past. He knew it wasn't a voluntary action. He didn't despise him as someone might have done, as much as he did when he punched the man for calling him a disgrace. Thinking back, Oak had done an amazing job of acting deranged as he was dragged away. It was hard to tell if it was fake or not. Red didn't hate Oak, but he was conflicted.

As they were on their way back home, Red showed the notebook to Delia. She read through it by the time they were half-way through Viridian Forest.

"I can't believe it…" Delia muttered.

Red nodded and took back the notebook. He flipped the page and messily started scribbling a makeshift to-do list. He added two essential notes: visit Serena to explain everything and message the other person he had to tell.

"I'll take on the first one," Delia said.

"Are you sure?" Red asked.

"Yes. I feel awful now that I know the truth, and I have also experienced being influenced by Psychic-Type Pokémon. She's probably very confused right now. I think she needs me. In any case, I'll contact her mother somehow. I can't imagine Serena has stayed in Pallet."

"I'll leave it to you, then," Red said. His job was already to message the other person, so he was glad Delia said that. She wouldn't have been able to do his job, anyway. She didn't know who he was planning to message.

As they stepped into Pallet Town, Red wondered how Oak reacted to his final message.

_Ash is alive, and I know where he is. I'll make sure he's safe._


	25. Chapter 24: Reconciling Heartbreak

Chapter 24:

Reconciling Heartbreak

"Hello? Is this Grace Yvonne?" Delia asked the television monitor, whereon a woman with dark, mahogany brown hair looked pensive as if trying to work out who her caller was. Red looked up from his Pokégear curiously.

"Yes, I'm Grace. Who is this?"

"My name is Delia Ketchum. I'm Ash Ketchum's mother, a friend of your daughter's. I received your number from Professor Sycamore. I hope you don't mind," Delia replied.

"Oh, Delia! No, of course not!" Grace replied, nodding with what appeared to be recognition. "I-I am so sorry for your loss…"

"Oh wow, the news has reached as far out as Kalos?" Delia asked, laughing lightly to herself. Grace looked momentarily mortified. "Yes, I suppose his placement in the League would have made him quite famous. Thank you for your concern, but you needn't worry. Ash is alive and well. I spoke to him earlier this morning."

Grace gasped, clapping her hands together. "Really?! That is excellent news! But how? I saw the news, the same as everybody else. I've answered numerous calls intended for Serena from friends of theirs in hysterics, asking if it is true."

"Truthfully, the article was fake the entire time. We were all deceived into believing it."

"I see… Oh, I'm sure Serena will be delighted to hear that when she returns home," Grace said, none-the-wiser to the reason Delia had called.

Red watched Delia frown and turned back to his Pokégear, awaiting a response to the message he sent half-an-hour ago to the person he needed one piece of information from. He had to confirm one final query to puzzle the entire situation in his head, to begin planning reconciliations, preparing precautions, and formulating countermeasures. He had to protect his son, after all.

"I see, so Serena hasn't returned home just yet?" Delia continued in the background.

"No, she hasn't. Is something the matter?"

"Not entirely, but I'm sure she's hurting right now, more than you would think given the situation…." Delia said.

"What do you mean?" Grace asked, as nervous sounding as a Skitty in front of a stranger.

"It is a little bit complicated. Do you have some time?" Delia asked.

"Yes, of course," Grace responded quickly.

Red stared relentlessly at his Pokégear while Delia recited the situation concerning Serena as he noted it down, as well as her and Ash's prior relationship. Red had been focusing on his message, but he couldn't stop himself listening to the story. It wasn't pleasant at all, especially when Grace voiced how close the pair had been in Kalos from her knowledge. He truly felt for them. A person's first love was an important moment in their life. To have had that so ruthlessly torn away…

Oak had said not to tell anybody the story, but Grace deserved to know about her daughter at least; she wasn't getting the whole story. Red just hoped that, by doling snippets of the story to separate parties, he wasn't spinning too complex a web. He didn't want to involve too many people. Then again, they should probably tell Ash, too. Red scratched his head and sighed. He'd have to think on it.

Mid-way through Delia's explanation, Red's Pokégear pinged. Red hastily opened the message. _No. I did not know of such plans._

_I didn't think so, _Red responded, relieved because he had had his doubts. Had the response been any different though, he would have sworn to Arceus more than once, and probably yelled his frustration into a pillow. Well, silently yelled into a pillow, because Grace was on the call. Maybe he'd pull a 'Blue tantrum' instead and trash the living room. He wasn't too sure yet.

_I would not lose faith in you had you shown distrust in me._

_Naturally, _Red messaged back.

_Indeed. Thank you for the information. I will have to keep a closer eye on the situation at hand and investigate further. Do I have your permission to use it?_

_Yeah._

_Excellent. I shall contact you again when I have more information. Remember, delete this number._

_I know,_ Red thought, quickly doing as told. He glanced back at the conversing mothers, reattuned to the conversation, waiting until it finished.

"To think all of that has been going on without our knowledge… Our children have been through too much in their young lives," Grace commented when Delia finished. "I can only imagine how much my daughter is hurting right now, how confused she must be…"

"Yes, that is why I contacted you. Now that I know she hasn't left, there is only one place she could be. I will go and talk with her right away," Delia announced.

"Thank you, Delia, sincerely. And please, tell her I'm worried about her," Grace pleaded.

"Of course. I will have to call you again when the situation is less dire," Delia said, jovially.

"I would like that!" Grace said. "Alright, it's time I go and feed Rhyhorn! I'll–"

"Mr Red!" a young, bubbly voice cried out, accompanied by a stampede of feet on the stairs. Bonnie bounced into the room, a Swablu in her arms — one of Red's many Pokémon. His Pikachu padded down the stairs after her, looking exhausted. Red smirked to himself when Pikachu glared at him, a look he knew was faux resentment. His Pokémon couldn't hide anything from him. "Look! Look at how fluffy her wings are! Amazing, right?!"

Smiling gently, Red nodded, rustling his hand atop Bonnie's head; she cooed almost like a Pokémon, giggling to herself. That was the only way he could show any affection, any acknowledgement. Unless she was upstairs and out of sight, that was all the communication he was limited to. Red sighed. His mind worked in weird ways.

"Bonnie! It's been a while!" Grace said sounding happily surprised, waving through the screen.

Bonnie spun around. "Aaaaah! Serena's mother!" She rushed towards the screen. "Look, look! Amazing, right?!"

Grace and Delia giggled in unison. "My, you've almost got as much skill as my daughter!"

"I know, right?! Next, I'm going to style Wooloo!" Bonnie announced.

"Just be careful not to hurt him, alright?" Delia said.

"Alright!" Bonnie cried, darting from the room once again. The eager slam of her door from upstairs was quite the amusing sound.

"Bonnie is staying with you, then?" Grace asked.

"Yes," Delia said. "I intend to offer Serena the same when I speak with her, at least until she leaves."

"I see. Thank you so much," Grace said, bowing.

"Oh no, no need for that, please!" Delia said, waving her off in a panic.

"I feel I have to…" A roar sounded from off-screen, stealing Grace's gaze. "Well, there's Rhyhorn calling. On that note, I'll speak with you soon. Thank you once again, Delia," Grace said. She waved, Delia reciprocated and ended the call.

Delia fell back into the cushions, tossing her arms out. "That went better than I could have hoped."

"You seemed to get along well," Red commented, finally finding his voice.

"Do you think? Well, worried mothers are feathers of the same Swanna," Delia said.

"It seems so."

"Has Blue replied?"

"Yes," Red said. He hated lying to Delia, but he couldn't tell her. Not yet. She would likely understand, but the time wasn't right. But just as he lied, he felt a little better as a call from Blue did ping onto his Pokégear.

"Excellent!" Delia said, clapping her hands. She jumped to her feet. "Alright. I'll go and explain everything to Serena, bring her back home to stay until she leaves, and make us some delicious pancakes when I return!"

"I do love a good pancake."

"Right?!" Delia said cheerfully, almost skipping into the kitchen.

Red glanced down to his Pokégear again and accepted the call. "Yo, Red! You get a good talk with my old man?" Blue's voice blared through the speaker.

"I got a lot more than I'd hoped for, to be honest."

"No kiddin'? Alright, well, I'll leave that matter to you," Blue responded. "On another note, I've got a proposition for ya. You get in touch with Ash yet?"

"Well, Delia did, but yeah," Red said.

"Does that mean you can contact him any time now?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I've got his Kalos Pokémon sittin' right here, stealing all my Pidgeot's food and cramping my team's style!" Red laughed. "Kiddin', kiddin'. Actually, I was wondering if you could get in touch with him and send them over. I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"It would have to be Delia — I don't want to meet Ash for the first time over the phone — but we can do it."

"Gotcha," Blue said. "I thought he might want them back, you know? Is that a plan then?"

Red unconsciously nodded, his years of gesturing rather than speaking making his movement automatic. "Uh — yeah. Do you have his whole team?"

"Nah, I've got a fire-bird thing, some cocky winged guy who thinks he's a luchador and a black Dragon-Type with speakers for ears. I only went to Kalos on holiday. I forgot their names. Help me out here?"

Red laughed again. "Let's see… Probably Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern?"

"Yep, Ash had those in his team," Delia confirmed, stopping at the door to grab her coat again.

"What else did he have?" Red asked.

"Hmm… Pikachu, a Goodra, and a Greninja, which I'm sure you know by now," Delia replied.

"Nah, only got the three. I'll – huh? What was that, Yellow? You want _another_ glass of water?"

"Yes pleeease!" Yellow's chipper voice sang in the background.

Blue gave a quick 'tsk'.

"Excuse me?!" Yellow cried, obviously having heard his disgruntled noise.

"Nothin'! Give me a sec, I'm in the middle of a call," Blue said, sounding exasperated.

"I've got broken bones here, you ass! Don't sound like you're the one being hard-done-by!" Yellow's voice yelled back.

Red could tell Blue cringed on the other side of the call. "But I'm on a call…" he repeated.

"I'm sure _Red_ would do it for Delia_ immediately_, wouldn't you, Red?" Yellow said.

"Oh, hell no!" Blue yelled. "Sinking low enough to play that card, huh?! Fine!" Blue said, turning back to Red. "I'll bring 'em over later, Red. I gotta tend to my _lovely_ wife."

"Thank you," Yellow called in a sing-song voice.

"Dad! Bring me an ice pack!" Daisy's voice yelled.

"One thing at a time!" Blue yelled back, and the call ended.

Red and Delia were left laughing. The Oak family never changed.

When they calmed down, Delia made for the door. "Oh, Delia," Red said, stopping her momentarily. "Could you do something for me? Seeing as Blue is bringing Ash's Kalos Pokémon over later, there's something I want you to ask Serena to do."

"Of course. What do you need?"

* * *

It certainly wasn't as effective as Refresh was at cleansing a status ailment from a Pokémon, but doing exercise was a useful distraction for a short while, and the shower that followed felt as if she was bathing in a pool of Potions. At that moment Serena wasn't overly bothered by her appearance in terms of hair, make-up, and clothes, but she took pride in her fitness. She had to maintain her fitness to be able to dance in her performances, after all.

That wasn't to say her light run around the glowing mid-day forest and her dancing practice had been as enjoyable as usual. Far from it, in fact. She felt a sliver of enjoyment and that satisfactory exhaustion afterwards, but anything more was a dream. It was hard to forget that Ash had been the one to inspire her training, that she had seen him running around and wanted to join in. It was hard to forget that he was the one that helped her decide on her path in life, her goal.

But now, if only to keep herself doing something, anything, Serena at least felt resolved enough to fix her hair after her shower. Only a quick brush, to make sure it wouldn't knot. Afterwards, she wandered into the living room area, where her Pokémon were sitting around, eating some Pokémon food. She quickly prepped food for herself and joined them.

Mealtimes were different now. Before, it had been her, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, and all of their Pokémon. When they were still together. Now, it was her and her Pokémon alone. She was sure they felt the same loneliness she did, the lack of camaraderie that had once had her eager to wake up the next morning. She had lost a lot more than the boy she loved.

Serena had eaten three-quarters of her sandwich when a glassy pang repeated through the room three times. Then, a voice. "Hello?" Thankful that she had at least brushed her hair, Serena quickly finished the sandwich in time for the visitor's next call. "I'm coming in…"

Serena rushed to her feet, carrying her plate over to the sink. She didn't know why she was panicking. It was only another person. Why was she so frantic?

"Ah, there you are, Serena. I thought you might be here." Serena recognised the voice. She spun frantically on her heel and gasped. Delia Ketchum stood in the doorway, smiling in a way that reached into her heart: soft, caring, motherly.

Of all the things she should have felt in that moment — remorse, sadness, shame — Serena was scared. Scared of what more Delia had to say after their last meeting, after giving her and the whole room that haunting disappointed look. Somebody else's disappointment in you was a lot more difficult to handle than their sadness.

"Are you alright?" Delia asked. Serena must have looked just as tense as she felt.

Delia's question seemed to jolt a nerve. Serena regained her composure somewhat. "O-Oh, yes, I'm ok…" Serena muttered, looking anywhere but at Delia herself. She couldn't face her. Not now. She wasn't ready.

Delia stepped into the room. "I hope I'm not intruding," she said, "but there is something I'd like to talk with you about."

"W-With me?" Serena asked, steeling herself to momentarily meet Delia's eye.

"Yes," Delia said, taking a seat at the table between Sylveon and Braixen. She reached down, stroking Sylveon's head gently, causing the alert Fairy-Type to calm down, curling up on the cushions. Delia looked back up at Serena. "It's about this whole situation. Do you mind?"

_Yes, _Serena thought. She hadn't prepared herself for Delia's sudden arrival. But she refrained. She took a moment, weighing her options. This sudden arrival was a fortunate chance. She had to be strong about this. So far, she had been weak, hiding from it. She took a deep breath and shook her head, reclaiming her seat. She resolved to hear Delia out; her whole body was shaking.

"Thank you," Delia said, nodding her head in a tiny bow. At the same time as she massaged Sylveon's ears and stroked her hand up and down her back, Delia looked up at Serena. Her eyes were tranquil, satisfied, calming even. It was a presence Serena had needed. They didn't have the coldness of steel in them as they had the other day, that plain, dull look of despair and anger. Something had changed, and it made Serena feel a lot more comfortable around the woman. That seemed to be her natural temperament.

"What, umm, do you want to talk about?"

"Well for starters, your hand in Professor Oak's plan," Delia said. Serena looked to the ground, feeling ashamed. Of course, that was what it was about; it was only natural. Serena didn't know how she would respond to anything Delia might say about the subject, though. She was as confused if not more so than Delia was. "You are very confused right now, aren't you? You don't know why you took part. Am I correct?"

"Y-Yes!" Serena exclaimed, feeling beyond surprised. She had expected Delia to berate her with that firm yet motherly tone, not uncover the truth like some psychic detective. "How do you know that?" Serena asked.

Delia nodded her head, seeming satisfied with herself. "Yes, I thought so. It seems you were far from conscious during the whole incident, up until my last visit here. You see, Red and I visited Professor Oak this morning to figure out the truth behind this whole situation. And we discovered that you had been hypnotised the whole time."

While Serena was shocked into an almost paralytic state, Delia continued to explain the entire situation regarding her part in the ordeal, or as she had been told by Professor Oak. Unable to say anything, nor give her input, Serena only listened, trying to process the truth. That made sense: she had acted without proper thought, carried out actions unlike herself, and had had a lack of free thought at the time. It made so much sense.

By the time Delia finished detailing her recount of Oak's confession, Serena sat with her head in her arms, folded over the tabletop.

"How are you feeling?" Delia softly asked.

"…Conflicted," Serena tearily replied, sniffing to keep them back. A large part of her was pleased that she hadn't truly betrayed Ash's trust, his love, but he hadn't known that when he died. There was no way for her to reconcile the heartbreak.

"Yes, I can understand that. You believe he died with a false view of you, right?" Delia asked.

"Yes."

Giggling to herself — an action that somewhat offended Serena at that moment — Delia spoke the single sentence Serena has been wholeheartedly wishing to Jirachi for. "It's a good job Ash is alive then, isn't it?"

In response, Sylveon sat upright again, and Braixen and Pancham grew increasingly attentive, and Serena couldn't hold the tears back. "He-He's alive?" Serena asked, her voice catching, wavering, breaking. She threw Delia a disbelieving gasp — who responded with a cheery nod — and collapsed back into her arms, sobbing out the relief that flooded through her.

Delia shuffled around the table to sit beside Serena and began to comfort her, hugging her around the shoulders, rubbing her back affectionately. How Delia didn't seem to be the slightest bit hesitant, the slightest bit awkward, Serena didn't know. But she appreciated the gesture. She needed it.

The room was silent and emotional for a little while until Serena's feelings calmed down. "I'm so relieved…" she muttered.

"As was I when I heard the news," Delia said.

"H-Have you confirmed it?" Serena asked.

"I have indeed," Delia replied, "I spoke with him earlier this morning."

"Where is he? Is he alright?!"

Delia chuckled to herself. "He's perfectly fine, there's no need to worry. Surprisingly, he's on the other side of the world, a place called the Alola Region."

"On the other side of the world…?" Serena repeated in a deep breath. That meant it would be a lot more difficult to visit him, and she wanted to see him right away. She had to tell the truth, let him know she still loved him.

Suddenly, as she began to process the situation, she had a painful revelation, one that thrust her into another state of confliction. Ash currently believed she betrayed his trust and his feelings for her.

"How do you feel now?" Delia repeated.

"I—"

"You're still conflicted, aren't you? Because of the whole hypnosis situation?" Serena only nodded. "Believe me when I say, I understand. I too have been a victim of such manipulation. Once, back when Ash was much younger — oh, during his first few years as a trainer — I was manipulated to believe I was another girls' mother. Throughout that situation, I had no recollection of Ash being my son until the spell was broken. Afterwards, I was distraught. I hated myself for a little while because I had completely forgotten my own son. I felt that by forgetting him, I had betrayed him. It was not by my choice, but I completely neglected his existence.

"But neither of us are at fault in these situations. They happened because of other people, other Pokémon. We have to live with what happened and try to reconcile afterwards. To this day I still feel bad, but I've gotten over it, and so has Ash, if he even recognised the true nature of the event in the first place. He was always so clueless as a child. You must do the same now. When Ash finds out the truth, all that's left is you forgiving yourself, because I know for a fact that Ash will forgive you, probably even before you tell him the truth."

"He is like that, isn't he?" Serena said, smiling once more.

"He is. So, please, Serena, forgive yourself. You are not at fault. When you next see Ash, be brave, be confident," Delia said, rubbing the girl's arm affectionately.

Serena nodded her head, newly resolved thanks to Delia's speech. "I will."

"Before you go off adventuring to Alola to meet Ash — honestly it's amazing to see so many people so devoted to him — I think you should head home first. I contacted your mother a short while ago, and she is worried about you. You should go and see her," Delia suggested.

"Yes, that's probably the best idea," Serena said, her voice reclaiming an iota of her former joy.

"Excellent!" Delia said, clapping her hands together. "In that case, Red has given me a request for you, if you are up for it. It's all for Ash's benefit, of course."

"Sure!" Serena eagerly said, the fire in her heart burning brighter than ever before. "What's the request?"

"Red would like you to find Ash's Goodra and Greninja back in Kalos. Then, since I know you want to see Ash, he requested that you take them to him in Alola," Delia said.

Serena nodded immediately. "Leave it to me!" As much as she wanted to see Ash, that sounded like an important task, one that would benefit Ash in the long run.

"Excellent!" Delia said, sliding along the settee and to her feet. "Now, we have one final task today!"

"What task?" Serena asked. Nothing came to mind that she could think of.

"Fixing your messy hair. Honestly, you've got such beautiful hair, but one simple brush won't fix anything. Come with me! We're making you look like a supermodel!" Delia said, marching cheerfully towards the guest rooms. Serena could only giggle and follow along.

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Brock said, rubbing his chin in contemplation as they — Ash and Brock — sat on the bench to the side during a break in Ash's training. "You're telling me your Pokémon's cries make sense to you?"

"No," Ash replied, squeezing a jet of water into his mouth, wiping his lips. "Not exactly. They still don't make sense to me audibly, but I can understand them. Uhh, as if I translate them, you could say. But it's all in my head, you know? I don't actually hear anything different."

"Huh," Brock muttered.

"Any ideas?"

"None, sorry," Brock denied. "I've never heard of anything like that."

"Honestly, I kinda think it has something to do with the Bond Phenomenon."

"Hmm, that might make sense," Brock said. "Clemont should know more about that, right? Why don't you call him over? I mean, now that everything's been sorted, you trust him again, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to ask you first, seeing as we're the closest, but… yeah, he would probably know more," Ash said. He turned to the side, where Clemont and Dawn were chatting beside their bags, gathering some food from within. "Clemont, Dawn!" he called, waving them over.

The blonde and bluenette took their seats around the pair, handing out the food. "Thanks," Ash said, taking a bite. Whilst mid-mouthful, much to Dawn's quick dissatisfaction, Ash relayed the information to the pair and asked Clemont his opinion.

The night before, Ash hadn't been able to ask Brock about the situation due to their eventful reunion, so he asked the group to accompany him for the day to do so. Seeing as Mallow, Lana, and Kiawe departed to start their Trial Captain training, Hau went to watch someone called Royal Mask at the Battle Royal Dome along with Kukui and Hala, and Lillie went to visit somebody in a lab, it was the perfect time to discuss.

"Wow, so you can understand what they're saying?! That's incredible…" Clemont responded to the explanation. "That's so much more efficient than that one invention I made…"

"That sounds… bizarre, really. I know I have no idea what this Bond Phenomenon is like, but do you genuinely think it's a result of that?" Dawn asked.

"From what Ash has said, I'd believe so," Clemont surmised. "Interestingly, it occurred right after the League, and the crisis in Kalos, correct?" Ash nodded. "We all saw how powerful Greninja had become — no, how your whole team had become by the end of it. Maybe the crisis was the final spark that gave way to the true potential of the phenomenon or something like that. Maybe it wasn't secluded only to Greninja, but it's more than that. Ash, Oak said you've used it before in helping Infernape control his feral Blaze, and probably with Pikachu too, somehow. I imagine you're thinking isn't far wrong."

Now that Ash thought about it, his shoulder had been hurting after the battle with Hala, in the way his body had ached whenever Greninja fought. "It makes sense it would have something to do with bonds. I mean, originally, I couldn't understand Rockruff or Litten, but after bonding and helping them, I could."

"I see… Maybe it's time I build some new Clemontic Gear: The Battle Pulse Meter V2," Clemont said.

"Ooooh, those bracelets that helped Greninja and me before? Yeah, that could work," Ash said.

"It's decided, then! I'll do my best to make them as quickly as possible!" Clemont said energetically.

"Clemontic Gear?" Dawn asked.

"Clemont's an inventor," Ash explained. "He makes a bunch of inventions he called his Clemontic Gear. Some of them work, others explode in your face," Ash said, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"Wow, I never knew that… That's impressive!" Dawn said.

Clemont fiddled with his glasses, "W-Well, thank you."

"Man, science is so amazing," Ash said, grinning up at Clemont, and he grinned back. Just like the first time they met.

"If you don't mind, I have a question for you this time, Ash," Brock asked, rather sternly.

"Sure," Ash said, eating a few berries.

"What actually happened on the day of Pallet's attack? I mean, to you. I know everything else."

"When the attacks started coming, everyone was scattered around the yard because of the force. I was thrown into the lab and almost crushed under the rubble. I managed to get free, get some of my loyal Pokémon, and flee into the forest. From there, I got a plane out here. It's nothing exciting, although I did get a big cut up my side because of it," Ash explained. He lifted the corner of his shirt until it unveiled the large healing cut.

The trio leaned in to examine it, but they all looked confused. "Uhh, Ash, this scar doesn't look recent," Dawn said.

"Huh?" Ash asked. He looked at his cut. It wasn't a cut anymore, but a large, whitening scar that looked months old. "What the—" Ash asked aloud.

"Wait, is this from the attack?" Brock asked.

"Yeah," Ash said. "It was a lot worse yesterday. The others commented on it — I mean, it's obvious when you're only wearing swimming shorts."

"You must have some amazing healing abilities. What, is this another benefit of your Bond Phenomenon?" Dawn asked. It sounded half-serious, more like a joke than anything.

"Healing abilities?" Ash asked, pondering the phrase for a moment. He widened his eyes when he realised what happened. "Tapu Lele…"


	26. Chapter 25: Pikachu Valley

Chapter 25:

Pikachu Valley

It was as tense as a silent interrogation room. He could only watch as she reached forwards slowly, hesitantly, trembling as if experiencing frostbite — he could feel every quiver through the quilt. He held his breath, not knowing whether or not the nearly inaudible sound would startle her because of the obvious apprehension sensitising her nerves. A centimetre a second her shaky hand moved in its endeavour, reaching for something once thought impossible. Risking such a movement towards her enigmatic foe was reckless, so her worry was well-founded. But he believed in her.

Then, about a minute of tiny movements later, a minute of pausing and preparing, of his encouraging eyes glancing into her timid, terrified ones, Lillie touched Pikachu's head. She held her hand there a moment — for three seconds as they had decided would be a suitable time — then flinched backwards, eyeing her hand as if it were a golden chalice excavated from a lost tomb. Some precious, priceless artefact. To her, Ash knew that progress was just as valuable, and he thanked Arceus that Pikachu hadn't moved this time, the little trickster.

"I did it…" Lillie breathed, sounding incredibly thrilled.

"Well done!" Ash congratulated, grinning. "How did it feel?"

"It was soft, fluffy… It-It wasn't scary at all…"

"Yep, exactly. You've made good progress!" Ash said.

"Thank you! Can I try again?!" Lillie asked, glancing between Ash and Pikachu with a glowing determination.

"Of course," Ash said, turning to his partner, who also nodded. "Pikachu, same as last time, ok?"

Pikachu cried his agreement, and they settled into quiet once again. Lillie reached forwards with a little more gusto this time. There was less shaking, less hesitance in her slender arm. It looked to be going as well as the previous time, but then Pikachu launched himself up into Lillie's palm with a cheeky cry and the jumpy blonde shrieked, leaping backwards and off the edge of the bed.

"Eeep!" Lillie cried, tumbling onto the floor in a heap of sheets — she even pulled them out from under Ash. All the while, Ash slapped his hand to his forehead, somehow knowing Pikachu would do that, that he wouldn't listen.

Ash shuffled across the bed to check on Lillie. She was sprawled on the floor, her hair fanned out under her and the bed sheets tangled around her limbs, and her eyes were wide with surprise, her lips parted. Ash couldn't stop himself laughing at the sight. Somehow, it was heart-warming.

"Hey!" Lillie complained while sitting up, an action that jostled the blanket to engulf her even more. "Don't laugh…" Lillie muttered, averting her eyes with a pout and pink cheeks, the straps of her nightie slipping from her shoulders as slow as falling snow. Ash's laughter jammed involuntarily. Her expression, the way the blanket was cuddled against her, the beautiful messiness of her hair; Lillie looked adorable.

Ash couldn't muster words for a moment, so he laughed awkwardly a few more times as he shuffled off the side of the bed. He offered his hand to her, smiling. Her pout was replaced with a small smile — that looked just as adorable — and she took his hand, righting her nightie as he helped her up.

"A-Are you alright?" Ash asked, carefully helping to dislodge the sheets from around her.

"Y-Yes, I'm ok, thank you," Lillie said.

They got to work remaking the bed; Pikachu leapt off and ran onto the balcony with Ash's other Alolan Pokémon, vanishing like a thief from a crime scene.

"You've made great progress in getting closer to Pikachu. Maybe soon you'll be able to hug him a little bit. Who knows?" Ash suggested.

"Do you really think so?!" Lillie asked, tugging the blanket towards her chest which knocked Ash off balance. He faceplanted the mattress, groaning as his body flopped up and down. Lillie laughed at him this time, and she sounded so joyful it made Ash feel the same. He didn't mind it at all.

"Of course," Ash said, pulling the blanket back his way and laying it down. "You're doing amazing."

"I-It's all thanks to you, Ash. I'd never have been able to without your help," Lillie said, smoothing her corner of the blanket.

"I dunno. I'd like to think you'd have been able to do it yourself," Ash said, dusting his hands off and walking into the bathroom.

"I don't think so," Ash barely heard Lillie whisper from the room. The shuffling of some sheets indicated she was getting into her bed. "I would have just avoided it…"

"Maybe," Ash said vaguely. He didn't know if Lillie heard him, but he didn't know how else to respond.

Quickly brushing his teeth — Lillie had done so earlier — Ash moved back into the room. He coaxed his Pokémon inside and closed the balcony door, then drew across the curtains and slipped into bed himself, tossing his arms behind his head. Pikachu, Rockruff, and Litten curled up in the corner.

"W-What about you? How is your training going? Have you found the next trial location yet?" Lillie asked.

"Nah, not yet," Ash replied. "I've made good progress through Route 4 though. I'm almost at Paniola Town and we've trained a bunch. Rockruff and Litten are close to learning some new moves, too. It's been going well," Ash said, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

It had been a few days since Ash unveiled his secret to his friends. Since then, he had gradually felt more and more content. Finally, he understood the situation that led him to Alola a little better. As a result, he no longer had the guilt of keeping secrets from his friends crushing his conscience. They didn't know about Serena — he didn't want them to know, really — nor did they know how many Legendary Pokémon he had previously met, but he didn't see either as potentially detrimental to his bonds if they were discovered. Well, Lana might kill him for seeing Kyogre and not telling her, but that was a fifty-fifty chance. She'd probably do so if he told her anyway, simply because he saw it without her.

During that time, Mallow, Lana, and Kiawe began their placements at their respective trials, Clemont worked on the Battle Pulse Metre V2, Brock and Dawn revelled in Alola's tropics, Hala returned to Melemele, and Hau and Kukui disappeared who knows where. Lillie spent her time looking for Tapu Lele's shrine and exploring the island a bit more with Nebby. Jessie, James, and Meowth popped their heads in, but they had their hands full with their new jobs; apparently, that 'Team Skull' group was causing lots of mischief. He and Lillie spent their evenings, around bedtime, either chatting or working on their promise. He still saw everyone, but they had yet to group up all together once more.

Last night, Ash had picked up a call from his mother and she sent over his Kalos Pokémon. When Ash received them, the first thing he did was let them out and give them each a huge hug. He was beyond relieved to see them. He knew they had been safe with Blue, but some part of his mind feared Oak might've gotten to them.

After a day of rest, Ash had decided to resume his Island Challenge. Without his dark secrets maintaining a constant Curse on his heart, without the constant thoughts as to why he wasn't good enough, Ash was having a lot more fun. During the daytime, he had been looking for the next trial location without seeking help from the training captains. It was his own little adventure, and the woods of Akala Island were denser than those of Melemele. Finally, he felt like he was travelling again. In the evenings, he took to training his older Pokémon some more. Although, he felt like they should have something more to do. Nothing had come to his mind just yet.

"The only thing is, I can't seem to pull off my Z-Move with Pikachu again," Ash continued.

"Really? How come?"

"Hmm, I think it's because we didn't do it properly the last time. See, we used it in the heat of a battle, and we didn't perform the necessary movements to pull it off. You know, that little dance Hala did with his. I think we still need to learn that properly."

"You… didn't perform the actions?" Lillie asked.

"Nope, why?"

"From a book Hala gave me, I read that you have to perform the actions so that your movements and your Pokémon's movements, as well as your hearts, are in sync, therefore allowing the power for Z-Moves to be shared between you," Lillie said, turning side-on to face Ash.

"Huh…" Ash muttered.

Did that mean his and Pikachu's movements were already in sync without requiring the moves? That they could generate the energy without the movements? If so, it _was_ similar to what happened with Greninja in the first stages of their Bond Phenomenon. And if that were the case, their earlier hypothesis may be more certain: it could be a result of the Bond Phenomenon. Clemont's invention was all they needed to prove it.

"Ah, who knows!" Ash cheerfully said. "We'll figure it out eventually!"

"Well, as you said before, not everything can be discovered from reading…" Lillie whispered.

Ash smiled and turned to face her. "I did say something like that didn't I," he said. "Anyways, I finally feel like I'm back to my old self a bit more after… everything."

"I'm glad to hear it," Lillie said. "I-I was worried about you."

"Thanks, Lillie," Ash said with a genuine smile.

"Are you planning to train again tomorrow?"

"I am," Ash said. "Want to join me?"

"Really? Yes, I'd like that! Nebby and I have been trying to find Tapu Lele's shrine, but I get lost a little bit easily…"

Ash laughed. "Don't worry," Ash said, "for the first few years of my journey, I always got lost in forests and mountains. It made for a lot of cool adventures, buuuut it meant getting anywhere took a long time."

"Really? You got lost?" Lillie asked, surprise evident in her tone.

"Ooooh yeah, a lot!" Ash chuckled fondly at the memories.

"But you're so capable now," Lillie said.

"I've got much more experience," Ash said. "As my earlier stories probably indicated, I used to be one of the most incompetent people ever. I'll even admit it," he said, and let out a large yawn.

"So, it is all a part of learning?" Lillie asked, yawning too as if it were contagious.

"Yep!" Ash answered simply. "Well, we'd better get some sleep if we're gonna be up early tomorrow."

"I agree. Goodnight, Ash, and thank you."

"No worries. Goodnight Lillie," Ash said, and reached over to switch off the golden lamp.

But Ash didn't fall asleep right away. He lay awake staring at the black ceiling, faintly illuminated by the moon glowing through the drapes. His mind was working overtime, thinking back on the end of his conversation with his mother the previous night.

"_Oh, Ash, there is one more thing,"_ Delia had said, her chipper tone taking a grimmer one. _"In about a week, Professor Oak's trial is going to be held. We have discussed the details with Lance, and he wants you there as the victim. It would be awkward to fly you over just for that, so he is in the process of contacting the Alolan Police on Melemele Island to set up a video call. I'll tell you the exact date another time, but I want you to let Jessie, James, and Meowth know too. Despite their reputations out here, R-Blue pulled some strings, and Lance wants them as witnesses. Also, we spoke with Professor Oak the other day, and we have new news for you. Now isn't the best time. We will tell you after the trial."_

Their call had ended soon after that, leaving Ash with a mental conflict. How would he fare when he had to see Oak again? An icy dread rose goose-bumps all over his body at the thought of it, let alone confronting him. The man that tried to destroy his life, his dreams. The one that turned his friends against him. Even Serena.

Ash sighed, shaking his head. He didn't want to think about that now. What he did ponder, however, was Delia's latter statement. He wanted to know what his mother meant by new news. After everything that had happened, he couldn't fathom any more complications in the story. It was already a mess as is. Would it be helpful to him? Give him relief? Or would it worsen how he felt again, like a slow-acting poison?

_Stop thinking about it,_ Ash told himself, lightly shaking his head again. _You're in a better place now. _He turned back to the side, towards Lillie, and stared for a moment. Her eyes were shut, her pink lips slightly parted, and she held the blankets close to her chest. Ash could hear her light breathing in the sleeping room. She looked incredibly serene.

Soon, Ash found himself drifting off to sleep too, his mind clear.

* * *

Ash and Lillie were up early the following morning, ready and packed for a day of adventuring before Brock or Mallow — who were the early risers of the group — had awoken. They set off into the pleasant morning for Route 4, a light breeze circling through the trees. It was a little cooler than the previous day, something Ash didn't complain about.

They travelled the route all through the morning. Amongst Ash's battles with Rockruff and Litten and Pikachu whenever his boredom won out, they chatted lightly amongst themselves. Ash told Lillie of the Pokémon not native to Alola, such as Lillipup, and Lillie provided information about the native Pokémon he had never seen before. Rotom zipped about having had his job stolen by Lillie, capturing pictures of anything and everything. All in all, Ash was happy with their morning, and he hadn't even considered the uncertainty he felt towards Oak's trial and his mother's new news.

At around lunchtime, they passed a large path through the trees just up the trail from the woodwork Paniola Town. They set off down the path with the intent to find somewhere to settle down for lunch. That morning, Lillie had quickly prepared some sandwiches with skills she and Kiawe had learned from Mallow one time. The hotel chef generously offered them some crisps and fruit to add to the lunch. Ash tried to assist, but the sandwiches he made somehow tasted as if they inflicted a burn or poison status ailment on him when he tasted them. Suffice to say, Ash stepped away from the food immediately — or, more accurately, Lillie shooed him away in fear for her life.

"I'd never have thought I would be so interested in Pokémon battling. It worried me for a while, but it is quite fun to watch. As long as I know the Pokémon are ok with it," Lillie said as they passed through the pathway.

"Was that hesitance to watch it another result of your phobia?" Ash asked.

"Yes. Umm… somewhat," Lillie admitted, seemingly more open to talking about it now.

"Hey, even more progress there, then," Ash said, interlocking his fingers behind his head.

"I… suppose you're right," Lillie said gently.

Suddenly, Pikachu's head flicked upwards, scanning side-to-side, his ears straightening as if alert to a sound inaudible to them.

"What's up, buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, bounding quickly down the path. "Hey! Pikachu!" Ash shouted, but his partner had already disappeared around the corner. "What's up with him?"

As they rounded the bend, Ash received his answer. A faint sound tickled his ears from the path ahead. It was a very familiar sound, one he heard daily. The closer he got, the more certain he was. It was the cry of a Pikachu. More specifically, multiple Pikachu at once. Ash shared a quick glance with Lillie, and then they jogged the rest of the way to see what the commotion was.

Beyond the treeline was a broad valley, through which a sparkling river ran, gently rolling along in the breeze. At the top of the mountain was a fence of rocks, parted in the middle to form a waterfall, and there were caves at the base tunnelling through the stone. And there were Pikachu everywhere, each of which sported a unique hairstyle. They were on the grass, dashing in and out of sight in the caves, jumping from the waterfall's peak. Some lazed in the river, some splashed around, and some were even battling in the open plains, sparks flying as much as the dust from their swift movements. Even at Pikachu Land in Kalos, there had not been as many Pikachu. It was a spectacular sight; Rotom took to the skies immediately, rapidly snapping photos of the location.

"Wow…" Ash muttered, taking a few steps forwards.

"What is this place?" Lillie asked. Ash noticed she took a few steps towards him, half-hiding herself behind his back. He smiled sadly; that was her fear rearing its head again. Lillie was fine being in the proximity of his and their friends' Pokémon but having so many around her at once was probably quite terrifying.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ash asked over his shoulder.

"O-Oh! Yes, I think so. If I don't get too close…" Lillie answered. "S-Sorry…"

"It's ok, really," Ash said in the hopes of reassuring her. Lillie nodded her head slowly. Ash turned back to scour the area once more, taking in the sheer number of Pikachu. There was definitely over fifty, possibly over a hundred of them.

As he scoured, Ash spotted a trailer in the corner, outside of which stood a man in a cap. "Let's go ask that guy," Ash said. He shuffled through the Pikachu, who looked curiously at him, keeping his eye on Lillie to see is she was following. As they did, Ash's Pikachu bounded off into the herd.

"Visitors?!" the man exclaimed upon seeing them.

"Visitors-pika?!" another voice shouted, accompanied by a shriek, the clanging of some metal, and a body tumbling out of the trailer that was painted expertly like a Pikachu.

"Uh, hi," Ash greeted, offering a slightly awkward wave.

"Hello," Lillie followed with a small bow of her head.

The girl that fell from the trailer quickly recovered. She jumped at them like a friendly Spoink, causing both teens to flinch back in alarm.

The girl was fairly short with a bob of ginger hair curving around her face. Her eyes were a striking amber and as wide open as a Pikachu's, and, somehow, her lips held the exact expression of a casually smiling Pikachu. With the yellow wide-skirted dungaree dress and boots, and the Pikachu ears and heart-tail she wore, the girl sort of looked like a female Pikachu in human form.

"Hi, hi-pika!" the girl cried, enthusiastically grabbing one of Ash's hands and one of Lillie's. She heartily shook them — Ash half expected his limb to detach from his body. "Welcome to Pikachu Valley! I'm Pikala — or that's my nickname!"

"Ah, nice to meet you," Lillie politely said.

"Nice to meet you. Pikachu Valley?" Ash asked, retracting his hand when Pikala had released it — and rubbing it slightly to ease the numb pain of her crushing grip.

"Indeed, it is, for obvious reasons-pika!" Pikala said, laughing almost cheekily. Oh, that tone reminded Ash so much of his mischievous Pikachu. She had certainly done her research. "This here valley is the home of all of these Pikachu and their trainer: me! It's nice of you to stop by."

"You caught all of these Pikachu?" Lillie asked, some awe in her tone. Personally, Ash was surprised, but not for the same reason Lillie appeared to be. It was natural for Pokémon trainers to catch loads of Pokémon. He was just shocked that Pikachu was all she had. He loved his Pikachu too much to catch another one.

"Yep, yep—pika!"

"As I'm sure you can tell, Pikala here is a large Pikachu fanatic. She has so many Pikachu, it has become a sort of attraction here on Akala Island. As such, we found this place to set up and have lived here since. Currently, I'm acting as her aide," the man in the cap explained.

"Not that I need it. I'm nineteen-pika…"

"Yes, but your business sense is abysmal," the man countered, leaving Pikala pouting. Somehow, her fake ears flopped forwards too. But she quickly bounced back to full spirits.

"Right! Quick, quick, follow me!" Pikala said, and she proceeded to give them a tour of the area.

It was a quick tour, seeing as all they had to see were several Pikachu playing and battling. What was impressive, though, was Pikala's ability to name all of her Pikachu by their respective nicknames. Of course, they didn't know if she was truly correct, but she spoke with such confidence that Ash had to believe her.

One thing that Pikala touched upon during their tour piqued Ash's interest, and it concerned his Pikachu. When they found him, he was encircled by Pikala's Pikachu, but at a distance, and they were on all fours. They were wary of him. Because of that, Pikala was quickly able to determine that Ash's Pikachu wasn't Alolan. According to her, as easy as it was for them to miss the native differences, Pokémon could tell when they were in the presence of a foreigner. As such, Pikala's Pikachu were hesitant to approach him.

Lillie then asked if Pikala only had Alolan Pikachu, but she said some were from other regions too. Even so, they were all wary of Ash's Pikachu. It was interesting. However, by the time they finished, Ash's Pikachu was in the centre of the whole pack, playing and running around with them. Somehow, he had gained their trust in minutes. That was so like him. Ash gave it no second thought.

They stopped back at the trailer. "Thank you for the tour," Lillie said, "it was quite informative."

"No problem-pika," Pikala answered in what she had dubbed her Pikachu-slang — a type of slang Ash didn't think he could bare for much longer if he was being honest. "Feel free to spend as much time as you like here! My Pikachu love to battle, so you can train with them all you like. Have fun!" Giving her final farewell, Pikala skipped back into the trailer, beckoning a few Pikachu with her.

"She was… excitable," Lillie said.

"She really was…" Ash said, sighing. Overbearing was a more fitting word, but he knew he was like that when he was truly excited, so he couldn't complain.

"Do you want to have some lunch now?" Lillie asked.

"That'd be great!" Ash said.

* * *

They ate their lunch in a patch of Pikachu Valley under the shade of some trees. It was not quite the quality of Mallow's lunches, but Lillie had done an incredible job, nonetheless. Fuelled and ready to continue training, Ash left Lillie reading a book under the trees and ran into the group of Pikachu. He sent out Litten and Rockruff, and they got to training.

Both Rockruff and Litten had that spur of energy that Pokémon always had when they were on the cusp of learning a new move. As if they were supercharged. They were fighting harder than ever, moving with more vigour. No matter the number of Thundershocks and Thunderbolts they endured, they kept going.

"Litten, use Ember!" Ash called out, and his fiery partner complied. It was about an hour into their training, and Litten was battling a Pikachu with a perm. The move Litten seemed to be learning was coming from his mouth or jaw, given the glow that sometimes flickered from that area. Ash was hoping it would be Bite.

The Pikachu shot a Thundershock to block the Ember, and Ash acted quickly. "Litten, get in there quickly and attack!" Ash purposely made his command vague, hoping Litten would try to use his new move.

And he did. Unfortunately, Ash felt somewhat underwhelmed when Litten ran up to the Pikachu and, instead of Bite, gave one large, sloppy Lick before retreating. If the defeated look on Litten's face was anything to go by, he wasn't too pleased with that, either.

Ash chuckled lightly to himself, crouching down to pat Litten's head. "Don't worry, Litten. It may not be the strongest move, but it does have its uses." He said that, but Ash didn't know if he would include it in the set of moves that he was allowed for battles. It honestly depended on the situation.

Seemingly encouraged by his words, though, Litten dived back into battle alongside Rockruff, acting on his own for a little while.

Ash fell back onto the grass, sitting cross-legged, and watched Rockruff and Litten. Both of his Alolan Pokémon were progressing well in terms of battling skill. Their efficiency and accuracy were increasing, as was their strength, gradually. Their moves were progressing well, but he could see a few issues that needed resolving. For one thing, all of Rockruff's attacks were melee, leaving him at a disadvantage at range. Secondly, Rockruff had Bite and Thunder Fang, so he had some fairly powerful attacks for his current experience, but Litten only had Scratch and Ember, and Lick wasn't entirely beneficial. He had to think of moves to teach them to cover their weaknesses. It wasn't strong, but the only move he could think to teach Litten at the moment, based on his current moveset, was Fury Swipes.

Aside from moves, there was something significant missing, too, something key to their growth. The only way he could word the missing component was independence. It was a strange concept in Pokémon training since it was the collaboration of the trainer and the Pokémon to achieve whatever their goal might be, but that wasn't what he meant. So far, all of the tough battles had been fought by Pikachu. Of course, Ash had wanted to start his Island Challenge with Pikachu, but Rockruff and Litten would never fully grow if he maintained that. They had to battle tougher opponents on their own and grow as a result of whatever the outcome may be. Then and there, Ash decided it: for the next trial, he was only going to use Rockruff and Litten.

Ash was startled from his thoughts by a loud bark from Rockruff. When he looked over, Rockruff had knocked out his opponent, which was yet another Pikachu. Ash noticed that Rockruff's collar was faintly glowing white. Ash frowned, attempting to decide what move it looked like Rockruff was learning. The objects that were glowing were the rocks on his collar, so if he had to say, it looked like the first step for Rock Throw, or something similar.

"Rotom!" Ash called, coaxing the flying Pokédex to him. "Can you tell what move Rockruff is close to learning?"

"Hmm… I cannot say for certain-zzt, but I can show you a list of moves," Rotom answered.

"Sure," Ash said. Rotom swooped in front of him. The blue screen flickered to display a picture of Rockruff with a small table below it. There were several moves listed, one of which was Rock Throw.

"What're the chances!" Ash said, jumping back to his feet. It was a perfect move to teach him. It was a long-range attack and of the same type as Rockruff. All he had to do was hope. "Thanks, Rotom!" At the compliment, Rotom's screen flickered into a shimmering smile.

For the subsequent twenty minutes, Ash instructed Litten to practice using Scratch with both hands alternatively with the intent to make his movements simultaneous and for Rockruff to practice concentrating his energy in his collar. Twenty minutes was not a lot of time to progress, but from what Ash saw, his thinking was on the right track.

Another hour and a half later, Ash realised he had left Lillie alone for a long time, so he jogged over to the trees, giving a light wave. He felt a little bad about it.

When Lillie saw him, she smiled lightly, closing her book. "How is the training going?" Lillie asked.

"It's going pretty good, thanks!" Ash said, taking a quick seat in front of her. "Are you alright here by yourself? I just realised I've left you alone…"

"Oh, no, I'm ok. You don't have to worry. I've been enjoying just watching, actually, between reading," Lillie said. "It's quite interesting. Everybody battles differently."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Ash said. He went to continue when a familiar voice shouted out over the sounds of the battling behind them.

"Ash! Lillie! Hey!"

From the re-appeared duo of Pikala and the man in the cap — probably because of the presence of yet another surprise visitor – Hau jogged to them, having a little too much enthusiasm.

"Hey, Hau," Ash greeted.

"Hello," Lillie added, nodding politely his way.

"I finally found ya! I've been looking everywhere!" Hau said.

"Really? How come?" Lillie asked.

"And where have you been the last few days, Hau? You completely disappeared. Hala wanted to say goodbye to you before he returned to Melemele," Ash asked.

"Ah, really? My bad…" Hau trailed off, something completely out of character for him. He shook himself. "I was at the Battle Royal Dome, trainin'. Man, you've gotta try it out, Ash! It's amazin'! You step into a boxing ring and have a four-way battle. The last one standing wins!"

"Wow, that does sound pretty cool! So, you all battle at once, targeting whoever?"

"Yep!"

"That's awesome… That would be amazing training if all three opponents attacked you at once," Ash said.

"Oh yeah, man, it's amazing! When you dodge 'em all or block their moves, you feel really cool! Especially with the crowd cheering."

"I can imagine! Now I'm interested!"

Hau punched his palm. "Wanna go there tomorrow? Oh, we still have time today! It's open all night. How about—"

"Umm, Hau, you've been looking for us?" Lillie timidly interrupted, and when Ash looked at her, her expression said that she wasn't too pleased with being ignored.

"Sorry," Ash said on behalf of his battling spirit.

"Yeah! Since trainin' at the Battle Royal Dome, my team and I are in top shape! I want a battle, Ash!"

Ash smirked. "You're on!"


	27. Chapter 26: Ash vs Hau: Round 2

Chapter 26:

Ash vs Hau: Round 2

After negotiating with Pikala about using the area for their battle and coaxing the Pikachu a safe distance away to spectate, which turned out to be a taxing ordeal — it seemed they thought they were playing tag — Ash and Hau faced off, both donning some impressively large, excited smirks. Pikachu assumed a look identical to his trainer's.

Lillie watched from the safety of the tree, fixated on the unfolding event.

"What type of battle do you want?" Ash asked across the field.

"A three-on-three!" Hau responded, already readying his first Pokéball.

Ash faltered. "Three-on-three?" he asked. That wasn't such a good idea. The only Pokémon he wanted to use in the battle were Rockruff and Litten seeing as he decided not to rely on Pikachu too much. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Hau said, tilting his head to the ground. "I… I know your Pikachu is strong, but I'll never get stronger if I don't fight strong enemies!"

_Touché,_ Ash thought. He nodded and grabbed his first Pokéball. "What brought that thought on?"

"I… lost to my Grandpa," Hau said, surprising Ash. "Heh, plus, I've got a trump card if I need it!"

"As long as you're sure," Ash said. He felt bad for bringing up his loss. It seemed Hau wasn't too fond of it, which was only natural. Losing to someone you consider a rival, or you look up to was tough. He knew from experience.

"Enough of that! At the same time, alright?" Hau asked, and Ash nodded again. "Ok… three, two, one, go!"

At the same time as Hau, Ash threw out his Pokéball. His Litten appeared from it, growling energetically. Unexpectedly, Hau sent out a Noibat.

"Woah," Ash said, "where'd you get a Noibat in Alola?"

"In Verdant Cavern. You're allowed back in after you complete the trial! Pretty cool, huh?"

"It is!"

"Anyway, let's begin!" Hau said. He turned to the man in the cap, who had offered to act as their referee. "Please do the honours," he said, and Ash focused.

"Both ready?" the man in the cap asked. Both nodded. "Alright… Begin!"

"Noibat fly up and use Screech!" Hau began, adopting the first theatrical gesture Ash had seen from him. He seemed really into it. Hau's enthusiasm only served to fuel Ash's own.

Ash couldn't say he was entirely surprised with the move choice given the speakers Noibat had for ears, but he did cringe. The area of effect was large for Screech, and the fact that Hau commanded the small dragon into the air only increased its effectiveness. It was a smart move; Ash realised he must have tested it out in the Battle Royal arena. As a result, Litten couldn't dodge no matter what Ash said. None of his moves could cancel it out, either.

Each strand of Litten's fur straightened into spikes and his ears folded over at the harsh sounds. Ash ducked away from the sound too, keeping his eyes on the battle. When the Screech ended, Ash stored the fact that he had to be wary of physical attacks now. So, it was best to keep his distance. But Ash was sceptical of whether he could.

"Litten, Ember!" Ash called. Litten wasted no time digging in his paws and unleashing a small burst of flames towards Noibat. Noibat easily dodged the attack by swooping to the side as if pulled by a string. Attacking from such a distance was no good, not with a move like Ember, as Ash thought. It seemed he had to get close. "Leer!" Ash followed up, opting to try and even the playing field instead. It wouldn't be as effective as the Screech, but it was half of a countermeasure.

"Noibat, swoop in closer and use Gust!" Noibat obeyed, flying rather slowly towards them. Noibat stopped a fair distance away from Litten, stared down into the Leer and flapped its wings a few times. The air swirled into a tiny tornado, whipping up leaves and dust into it too. Litten, in the centre of the Gust, dug his paws in to stabilise his balance.

"Let go, Litten! Go with the wind!" Ash called. Litten hesitated slightly, something Ash knew was a lack of experience, before complying and letting go. He flew into the air with the current, spinning in circles. Meanwhile, Ash just watched closely. He was looking for the exact moment the gust ended.

"Nice, Noibat! Use Bite!" Hau called.

Noibat stopped swinging its wings and opted for gliding towards the tumbling Litten instead.

"Litten, use Ember repeatedly!" Ash commanded. Litten was a rotating canon: each blast of fire he breathed was like a bullet from a gunshot, small and rapid. The spinning made the attack look like the spreading particles of a firework, and it wasn't just for show. The hap-hazardous firing created an offensive shield, stopping Noibat from flying in at any angle. Noibat wasn't quick enough to attack in between the flames. As a result, Noibat had to fly around Litten to try and find an opening, but all she received were multiple blasts of fire to the head and body whenever she tried. Ash's plan worked.

Gradually, Litten started descending and his spinning slowed until he was looking downwards. Luckily, Noibat was in his flight path. "Litten, use Scratch!" Ash called out. Litten's claw extended, sharpened, and shone white.

"Noibat, dodge!" Hau called. Litten swiped at Noibat as she ducked away, catching her left wing. The damage was minimal, but it was enough to floor the tiny bat. Litten landed a short distance away without faltering, his acrobatic cat nature working entirely in Ash's favour.

"Now, rush in and use Scratch repeatedly with both claws while Noibat's down!" Ash called, and Litten obeyed. He rushed in, only one claw glowing, and swiped a few times alternatively. It was still only Scratch twice since he didn't swipe together, but the foundation for Fury Swipes was evident.

"Ugh, Noibat, use Bite!"

Ash cringed yet again when Noibat clamped its teeth down onto one of Litten's paws, holding him in place. Attacking rather than flying away was a bold but clever move by Hau given the earlier Screech. Ash was impressed.

"Now, Supersonic!" Hau called. Noibat's ears perked up and three pulses of visible sound waves slammed into Litten. That dazed look of confusion faded into Litten's eyes. Hau ordered Noibat to use Gust; Noibat blew Litten through the air, creating a significant distance between them.

Litten landed in a heap. In an attempt to climb to his feet, he stumbled on his paws but couldn't quite get them under him. When he did, he was teetering randomly and spinning in circles. That wasn't a favourable position, especially with Noibat nearing already.

"Noibat, Gust again! Then fly in with Bite!" Noibat obeyed, and that spinning wall of wind caught Litten once again. Litten cowered to the ground within the Gust, glancing left and right constantly, his instinct of fear amplified by the confusion. Ash knew he had to think quickly. He glanced between Litten, Noibat, the Gust, and the items whipped up in the gust. He worked at light-speed, and a plan began to formulate in Ash's mind. When the gust was strong enough, Noibat flew in.

"Litten, use Ember!" Ash commanded. Through the confusion, Litten fired Ember randomly, most of them going nowhere near the advancing Noibat nor exiting the Gust. The Embers were carried in the wind. But that was what Ash wanted. The fire that was sucked up into the Gust quickly gathered together. The flames grew, and from there nature took control. The oxygen in the wind only supplied the fire, making it burn more rapidly. When the leaves and tiny blades of grass caught fire, it spread around the whole of the gust. Ash's tactic created a miniature Fire Spin, and Noibat flew right into it just in time.

"Noibat!" Hau cried. His battling partner bounced back off the fire, scorch marks on her small body. Noibat landed heavily, struggling to rise. Judging by the exhausted way Noibat carried herself in the aftermath, she had been burned by the attack.

Trapped amid the flaming Gust, Litten lost his footing and flew into the air. He landed heavily, but the impact was enough to snap him out of his confusion. When he rose to his feet, albeit a little shakily, his eyes were focused.

"Ok, Litten, finish this with Scratch!" Ash called, and Litten rushed forwards, slashing Noibat one last time, Noibat skidding back across the ground. She tried to get up, but the sting of the burn with each movement proved to be too damaging. She collapsed.

"Noibat is unable to battle!" the man in the cap called out. The crowd of Pikachu to the side erupted into an uproar of cheers.

Hau scooped Noibat into his arms. He reached into his pocket, withdrew a small spray bottle, and gave a spritz to Noibat before returned her with a compliment.

"That was some smart play, Ash. Really smart," Hau said. "Alright, come on out, Rowlet!" He threw out his next Pokéball, from which Rowlet appeared. Despite the curious choice due to the obvious type advantage, Hau was grinning. Ash opted not to change out Litten, who was poised and ready, a bit shaky from Noibat's Screech-enhanced attacks.

"Litten, run in and use Ember!" Ash continued the battle, making a move he thought was pretty standard.

"Rowlet, dodge it by flying up!"

"Litten, angle your head upwards slightly!"

Litten's Ember, despite the changed trajectory, missed Rowlet. It passed just above him, startling the Grass-Type.

"Ah! Rowlet, counter with Razor Leaf!" Rowlet spread its wings. A luminous green glow surrounded the creamy quills, and Rowlet swished them forwards as Noibat did for Gust. From his wings, a series of boomerang-shaped leaves shot out like throwing stars. Ash commanded Litten to use Ember to counter some, knowing that despite the appearance of the move, Razor Leaf was a more physical attack than a special one. Litten countered a few, but some were too fast. As a result of the Screech, Litten was unable to continue running forwards after taking a few hits. Litten skidded backwards; he remained standing, but he didn't look too good

Ash changed his strategy. Litten was on his last legs and he didn't want to push him over his limit, so he decided to set up a more even playing field for Rockruff because of Rowlet's type advantage.

"Leer!" Ash commanded, and then commanded it again when the first ended.

Meanwhile, Hau had Rowlet repeat Razor Leaf twice more, each of which Litten was able to dodge on Ash's command between Leers; it was a fast move, but the distance made dodging easier. Because he had fought so many new trainers and had been one himself, Ash knew Hau was going to use Razor Leaf again. He remembered how he used to always use Thunderbolt with Pikachu when it was his strongest move. Using your strongest move was a tactic, but not a solid one if it never hit.

"Razor Leaf!" Hau called, as Ash predicted.

"Litten, jump!" Ash commanded at almost the same time, and because of his knowledge, Litten was able to avoid the Razor Leaf and dart in close to Rowlet. "Lick!" Ash called, ironically finding a use for the move. He hoped that the side-effect paralysis would kick in, but when Litten's attack finished, he was unlucky to not cause the ailment.

"Razor Leaf!" Hau called, and at point-blank, there was no dodging. Litten was hit, and he was knocked out of the battle. Ash knew it was inevitable at that moment, but Litten had done an amazing job. Now, Rowlet was weakened to Rockruff's physical moves, even if they didn't get the paralysis off.

"That was awesome, Litten," Ash said, stroking Litten's fur. Litten groaned, and Ash didn't miss how defeated it sounded. He made a mental note to check in with Litten later.

The announcer called Litten's loss, and Ash sent out Rockruff as he planned. Rockruff looked extremely eager.

"Leafage, Rowlet!" Hau commanded, and Rowlet fired similar-looking quills to Razor Leaf, but they were more spread out in the air.

"Rockruff, zig-zag between them and charge up Thunder Fang!" Rockruff darted off, dancing between the falling leaves just in time to avoid each one. He breached the line, lightning sparking at his teeth.

"Thunder Fang!"

"Counter with Razor Leaf!"

Moving much quicker than Rowlet, Rockruff leapt into the air and snapped his electrified jaw onto the Grass-Type, whose quills started glowing. He spun for a few seconds, prolonging the attack, and threw Rowlet back down at the ground. However, just before the impact, Rowlet unleashed the readied Razor Leaf. The dagger-like leaves hit Rockruff perfectly.

Both Pokémon slammed into the ground, raising the dust around them, as well as heightening the cheers of the surrounding Pikachu. When the dust settled, both Pokémon were on their feet, Rockruff gnashing his jaw at Rowlet, and Rowlet flapping his wings at Rockruff, taunting each other.

"Rowlet, into the air and use Leafage, then Razor Leaf!" Hau commanded, and his starter swopped upwards a lot quicker than Noibat had. Rowlet span around while using the moves, sending them forwards with more momentum. First, the Leafage, then the Razor Leaf as his second battalion.

"Rockruff, keep dodging as best you can!" Ash called because that was all he could do. He tried to wrack his brain for another way out, but he couldn't think of anything. Luckily, Rockruff's agility was excellent, so he was able to dodge the first wave of Leafage. But the Razor Leaf was faster and more powerful. One blade scraped his side as he dodged another, one hit him in the face, a third swiped his paws from under him, and the fourth knocked him back. So many hits from a Super-Effective move was detrimental.

"Rockruff, you alright?" Ash asked, and, slowly, Rockruff got back up, barking to show his confirmation. But it was a weak bark. Ash had to be careful.

"Alright, run back in close!" Ash shouted hoping his loud voice would spur Rockruff on. It seemed to work, as Rockruff bounded back into the battle, closing the distance quickly. "Rockruff, skid to a complete stop and use Sand Attack around yourself!" Ash shouted, and Rockruff obeyed, creating a shield of dust for the oncoming Leafage Hau commanded a second later.

As predicted the cloud of sand blocked Rockruff from view, and every blast of the spread-out Leafage missed its target. Because, as Ash had said, Rockruff stopped dead still. If it was the more arrow-like Razor Leaf, he may not have been so lucky, but Leafage's wider spread caused Rowlet to miss. It was a reckless move, but recklessness was a key trait. "Jump out and use Bite!"

"What?!" Hau yelled when Rockruff leapt through the sand and bit Rowlet, descending with his wing in his jaw.

"Thunder Fang!" Ash called. Rowlet cried out loudly when the electricity hit his body, his voice wavering through the shock.

"Rowlet!" Hau called out, stamping his foot down a few times. "Uh, Razor Leaf!" Hau commanded, sounding unsure of his move for the first time.

"Rockruff, disengage!" Ash called. Rockruff let go, but Rowlet's quicker command allowed his Razor Leaf to hit. Luckily, it wasn't full force as Rockruff had bounded back a few steps. It didn't matter, however, because the Razor Leaf still did massive damage. This time, it took Rockruff a long time to get up.

"Alright, Rowlet!" Hau called. "Wrap it up with Tackle!"

"Rockruff, counter it with Thunder Fang!"

Rockruff hardly had the energy to move forwards, so he set his teeth alight with lightning and waiting for Rowlet's Tackle to hit. He widened his jaw, and Rowlet's move landed right into the Thunder Fang. The Tackle knocked Rockruff back into the floor, but the recoil of the Thunder Fang sent Rowlet spinning to the ground too. Thus, their battle ended in a draw.

"Both Rockruff and Rowlet are unable to battle!" the referee in the cap responded.

"Nice work Rockruff. You were awesome," Ash said to Rockruff as he returned him.

Similarly, Hau said, "Awesome battling, Rowlet," as he returned his partner.

"Alright, you're up, buddy!" Ash said, shaking his shoulder. Pikachu took a large leap and entered the battlefield, earning himself a colossal yell from the Pikachu, especially the heart-tailed ones. How he had become so popular so quickly, Ash didn't know.

"Here goes! C'mon out!" Hau called and threw his third Pokéball.

The loudest squeal in response to Hau's third Pokémon came from Pikala herself, who screamed, "A baby Pikachu!" when a Pichu appeared from the Pokéball. Of course, the Pikachu found Hau's Pichu equally as riveting and screamed deafeningly loud.

"A Pichu too?" Ash asked, recalling how he once assumed Pikachu couldn't be found in the wild when he first arrived in Alola.

"Yup!" Hau answered, grinning like his Pichu was. "Alright then, Pichu, use Charm!" Pichu bounced forwards like a Jigglypuff and flaunted its cuteness before Pikachu. The pink aura faded in and out around Pichu, and Pikachu staggered slightly as the charm knocked down his desire to attack. "Now, Nasty Plot!"

Ash was quite proud of his friend's strategy of going up against his Pikachu. Buffing his stats and de-buffing his opponent was a brilliant plan, a plan that novices often overlooked in favour of attacking. It was just unfortunate that there was such an obvious skill gap between the two battlers. Ash wasn't one to pretend to lose a battle, so he knew he had to fight properly with Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu ran in on command, but it seemed as if he felt the same as Ash since his movements were not quite as advanced as they were when he battled Hala.

"Pichu, duck and roll to the side!" Hau said. Just in time, Pichu ducked to the side and dodged the Quick Attack. "Thundershock!" Hau called. Pichu charged up and fired the small bolt towards Pikachu. Seeing the down-sized Thunderbolt sent a wave of nostalgia through Ash, but the move had little effect. Pikachu easily endured it.

"Use Electro Ball!" Ash commanded.

"Dodge!" Hau called.

That was how the Pikachu vs Pichu battle proceeded. Ash called out commands to Pikachu, and Hau would dodge, and either fire back with Thundershock — most of which Pikachu brushed off or dodged — or he would use Nasty Plot or Charm again. Hau didn't lose any confidence, even when Pikachu hit with an Electro Ball. Ash had to admit it was fun, despite the clear advantage he had. Both Pikachu and Pichu looked just as ecstatic to be battling as their trainers did.

And then it happened. Ash called for Pikachu to run in with Quick Attack, and this time Pichu was unable to dodge. However, neither Pikachu nor Pichu moved upon collision. It was like Pikachu slammed into a solid wall. It was a stalemate, both pushing against one another. It seemed impossible until Pichu erupted into a shining blue light and Ash knew where Pichu's super-strength was coming from.

Pichu's body began to change, morphing into his new form: his tiny body expanded, his ears grew out, the lightning bolt of his tail became larger and more pronounced, more shaped. When the light faded, there stood a freshly evolved Pikachu, hands pushing against Ash's Pikachu's head.

A rush of excitement clattered into Ash's heart, bringing a giant smile to his lips. He imagined Hau was the same given the booming sound his voice made that could only rival a Noivern's Boomburst. The yells of the fellow Pikachu watching on the side were just as loud. Ash wondered if the evolution was a miracle based on their location.

"Awesome! You evolved!" Hau cried, literally jumping up and down on the spot. His eyes were sparkling like crystals. Something seemed to surprise Hau, and then he reached into his pocket, pulling out his Pokédex. He pointed it at his new Pikachu, read something, and then pocketed it. He grinned once more, and it didn't leave his face. "Alright, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!"

"Huh?!" Ash muttered, caught off guard as Hau's Pikachu darted in with its new move. Pikachu was hit away but hardly damaged. "Oh, you're on! Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

"Hah!" Hau laughed. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

It was like watching a Purloin vs Dedenne, a cat and mouse game, as the two Pikachu darted about in flashes of light, barely missing one another then spinning around and darting again, only to miss again. They collided a few times, bounced off, then went back to running. The background noise rose and rose at their clashing species' display. Ash watched, amazed even if Pikachu wasn't going all out. Hau couldn't stay still, and Ash even saw Lillie on her feet over his shoulder, watching the scene attentively.

About a minute and a half later, both Pikachu stopped before their respective trainers, panting for breath.

"This has been one heck of a battle, Ash!" Hau announced.

"Yes, it has," Ash responded.

"And it's about to get even better now that Pikachu knows a Normal-Type move!" Hau said, reaching towards his wrist. For the first time, Ash saw the pristine, marble-like Z-Ring strapped to Hau's wrist and the sparkling light grey Z-Crystal placed into the slot. His eyes widened as Hau began to move.

Hau crossed his arms in front of his face in an X shape, then swung them outwards and to his sides. He threw his arms together again in front of his body, and moved them down low to the right, bending his right knee. He moved his left arm, pointed it upwards to the left, creating a line along his arms, and straightened his legs. Finally, he punched his arms in front of his body. At the same time, his Pikachu mimicked his moves, and a light grey glow emitted from his Z-Crystal. The glow seemed to transmit from Hau onto his Pikachu.

"Breakneck Blitz!" Hau shouted. Just like a Quick Attack, Pikachu dashed forwards only this time he was incredibly quick, so fast even that a huge cloud of dust sprung up behind his glowing body. He was on a direct course for Ash's Pikachu.

"Pikachu! Bring your tail in front of you and use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. Pikachu acted almost immediately, swivelling quickly, and catching his tail between his small arms. Iron Tail's silvery glow appeared just as Hau's Pikachu hit, and Pikachu held up his tail like a shield. Both Pikachu clattered across the battlefield upon collision, causing the circle of spectators to disperse. The force of the Z-Move was so powerful that they slammed through a few trees.

Ash glanced over at Hau. His expression showed how surprised he was that the attack had had so much force. Ash was just as surprised, and slightly worried, until he saw his Pikachu emerge from the dust, looking a little damaged but not too heavily. That surprised Ash. Hau's Pikachu had charged in with more force than a stampeding Bouffalant, and yet his Pikachu was ok. Naturally, the Iron Tail defence would have negated some of the damage, but he hadn't expected it to be so effective. No, it was more like Breakneck Blitz itself wasn't as effective. Upon quick deduction, it appeared Z-Moves were only as powerful as the Pokémon wielding them. And naturally so, too.

"Pikachu let's wrap this up! Quick Attack!" Ash called, and Pikachu darted in without hesitation, hitting Hau's panting Pikachu. "Iron Tail," Ash followed, watching as Pikachu knocked Hau's Pikachu away with the move. Pikachu's reaction to his command was quick. Too quick, even. He had barely finished before Pikachu attacked. And the same thing happened with the next move. It was as if Pikachu read his mind. "Jump and use Thunderbolt!" Ash called, but Pikachu was already up in the air by the time he finished.

Pikachu gave his signature cry and unleashed the wild electricity into Hau's Pikachu. Pikachu landed on his paws once more, poised to continue. Hau's Pikachu fell, his eyes shut.

"Hau's Pikachu is unable to battle! That means the winner is Ash!" their referee called out.

"Nooooo!" Hau shouted, just as he had done in their first battle. He ran messily towards his Pikachu, scooping him into his arms. Hau said some things quietly to his Pikachu, and then walked over to Ash, who knelt to ruffle his Pikachu's head. "You're awesome! Some of those moves you made… Rockruff even drew with Rowlet despite the type disadvantage."

Ash stood up, giving out his hand to Hau; at the same time, Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, looking curiously at Hau's Pikachu, whose eye creaked open a little bit. Hau shook Ash's hand tightly. "It was a good battle! Thank you, Hau," Ash said.

"Heh, no problem! Just you wait! I'll beat you next time!" Hau said, seemingly unaffected by the loss. It was strange given the split-second of sadness he showed when he mentioned losing to Hala.

When they released their handshake, Hau gave a curious look to Ash's wrist. Ash followed his gaze onto his Z-Ring, on which his Pikanium-Z was glowing a faint yellow. "Man, you were planning to use a Z-Move, too? Why'd you hold off?"

"Uh… I wasn't planning on using it. I'm having a little trouble with it, actually," Ash muttered, eying his Z-Ring curiously. He then eyed Pikachu, who shrugged. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder, coaxing Hau's Pikachu, and the pair jumped into the crowd, who seemed to be singing their praises.

"Wow! That was an amazing battle-pika!" Pikala said. "Your Pikachu were amazing! I just loved watching them!"

"Ah, thank you! I'm pretty shocked myself, y'know? I had no idea Pichu was ready to evolve," Hau said.

"It was beautiful to watch!" Lillie's voice suddenly said from beside Ash, startling the distracted trainer. "That was the first time I have ever seen a Pokémon evolve in person, and… it was just beautiful!"

"I know, right?! I've seen my Grandpa's Pokémon evolve before, but it never gets old," Hau said.

"It really doesn't. Not even after six years," Ash confirmed.

"How about my Z-Move?" Hau asked, folding his arms, smirking expectantly.

"Hmm… I have seen Professor Kukui use some before. They seemed a bit stronger…" Lillie shyly admitted, clearly ruining Hau's pride. His fallen expression made him look like a ghost.

"Yeah, I'd have preferred to see your Pikachu use Catastropika-pika, but he doesn't seem to know Volt Tackle…" Pikala said, pouting like a Pikachu.

"Wait, you know about Pikachu's Z-Move?" Ash asked.

"Of course! I'm no fake fan, I'll have you know-pika!"

"In that case… do you think you could show me how to do the movements for the Z-Move?" Ash asked. "See, the first time I used it was a bit weird, and since then, I've been having a little bit of trouble. I'm guessing I need to memorise the movements."

"Oh, of course! Anything to help a Pikachu lover-pika!" Pikala answered.

"Thank you very much," Ash said, giving a short bow. "Oh, yeah. Hau, could you teach me the Normal-Type Z-Move movements too? We had to rush out of the trial for that rogue Totem Raticate, so Ilima didn't have time to show me it," Ash asked.

"Oh, sure! Yeah, no worries, Ash!" Hau said, flashing a huge thumbs up.

"Thanks," Ash said again, smiling.

"Ok! Come back here tomorrow and we'll get to work!" Pikala said. "I can't help you right now because I have to take care of the Pikachu, but I'll be free during the day tomorrow-pika!"

"Sure," Ash said. "In that case, we'll take our leave."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Lillie said, bowing once more.

"Oh ho, no problem-pika! See ya tomorrow!" Pikala said. With a wave and a grin, she scampered off, somehow coaxing all of the Pikachu with her.

Saying farewell to the man in the cap and grabbing their own Pikachu, Ash, Lillie, and Hau made their way out of Pikachu Valley and back down the path.

"Phew, what a day!" Ash said, whistling.

"Yes, it has been quite a nice day. I'm glad I joined you," Lillie said.

"And I'm glad I found ya!" Hau said. "That place was awesome, too! I live in Alola, but I've never seen it! That only goes to show how much you can see when out travellin'!"

"I agree!" Lillie said.

Now that everything had calmed down after their battle, Hau's words from beforehand came back to Ash's mind. "Say, Hau," Ash said.

"Hmm?"

"Earlier, you said you lost to Hala…" Ash muttered. He didn't know how to approach the subject, so he was being as cautious as possible.

"Ah, yeah," Hau said, scratching his neck. He chuckled weakly. "I kinda asked him to go all out on me as he did you, so he used Hariyama. I couldn't beat him, even with Noibat's type advantage and Rowlet's Peck. I didn't wanna challenge him at anything other than his best, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get that," Ash said.

"It sucks to lose, but it taught me a lot. I kinda overestimated myself. So, I'm gonna take him on again after I've completed the rest of the Island Challenge. When I've gotten stronger, as strong as you and Pikachu. Only then will I feel like I've actually won."

"You look up to Kahuna Hala, don't you?" Lillie asked.

Hau nodded. "Yeah. A lot. That's why I won't battle him at nothing but his best! So, what if I can't win now? He's got — how many years on me?"

"Bout eighty?"

"Ash!" Lillie chastised, but she laughed. Hau joined in too.

"Nah, not quite. But yeah, I can't wait until I finally battle him again. I can't get ahead of myself, though. First things first: I'm gonna evolve my Pikachu into a Raichu!"

"Oh? You're going for a Raichu?" Ash asked.

"Yup!" Hau said. "Why?"

"Hmm, well, just a bit of advice on that front. Don't be hasty with your Thunderstone. Pikachu can learn moves Raichu can't after it's evolved. Just keep that in mind, is all."

"Huh. I didn't think about that…" Hau said. They made it to the end of the pathway leading into Pikachu Valley. Ash and Lillie turned to head back to the city, but Hau turned the other way. "Thanks again, Ash. I'll keep that in mind. I'm heading into Paniola Town. Don't worry 'bout me. You guys go on ahead. I'll see you here tomorrow?"

"Ok. Goodbye, Hau," Lillie said with a small wave.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Hau," Ash said, waving also.

Hau grinned and ran off into the distance. When he was out of sight, Ash and Lillie turned back around and set off for the hotel.

"Now that Hau has mentioned Raichu, why haven't you evolved your Pikachu?" Lillie asked.

Ash smiled and looked up at the sky. "Neither of us want to. In my opinion, Pikachu is just fine as he is, and he loves being a Pikachu. People have said before that Raichu is stronger just because it's an evolution, but any Pokémon can be strong. Pikachu and I have grown strong together as we are."

"I see. Statistically, evolved Pokémon are considered to be stronger, but…"

"There's so much more to Pokémon than can be read in books?" Ash interrupted, smiling softly.

"Yep!" Lillie happily answered. "I'll never forget those words! You won that battle earlier and one of the matchups was statistically advantageous for Hau, yet you drew."

"Ah," Ash said, closing his eyes for a moment. "I guess you're right," he said. But he didn't believe his own words. Sure, it was true that he had won that battle in terms of Pokémon remaining, but Ash didn't feel like he won. Hau had lost the battle, but Ash had lost to himself. Once again, he had relied on Pikachu to win even after wanting to train Rockruff and Litten.

It was a little irrational because he didn't expect to have won a three-on-two, but to Ash, nobody really won that battle.

* * *

"James, one of 'em ran around to the right!" Meowth yelled, dashing ahead of his two best friends in pursuit of the big-bodied, black-clothed hooligan.

"Right!" James responded, turning up the hill to the right of the intersection. He separated from Jessie and Meowth, but he could still hear and see them on the street below.

"I swear to Arceus you prissy little Skunky! Stop running or I'll rip your damn hair out!" That was Jessie.

"Give back those Pokémon you stole! Huh. Ain't that ironic!" That was Meowth.

"We dint steal nothin', yo!" And that was one of the Team Skull grunts they were currently chasing down. "We borrowed 'em without askin'!"

"We've twisted the law too many times to be bamboozled by logic like that!" James countered, glaring determinedly at the skinny lad awkwardly running ahead of him. This chase was their most strenuous duty yet as Alolan Police Officers, and James was adamant on succeeding.

The boy took a frantic glance over his shoulder, wailing fearfully. He toppled a barrel branded with 'Heahea Hearts' from beside a stall and kicked it down the hill. He spun back around and hightailed it between the stalls atop the hill. James sidestepped the barrel, reaching for the utility belt he had been issued by the Alolan Police Force. He grabbed one of his Pokéballs at the crest of the hill.

"Growlie!"

James stopped running to launch the Pokéball. Out popped his Gowlithe in a burst of flames — he had a contest seal encasing the Pokéball, which was transferred over when he had Growlie sent to him. It seemed his old butler made it, and he didn't have the heart to not use it.

"Grab that blue-haired kid's leg!" James ordered, and Growlithe cried, rushing past James easily, who resumed running. When he passed by the stalls, a white wooden fence started, allowing him a good vantage point of his partners down below.

"Eeek! Get away from me, old lady!"

"Old?! I'm in my twenties you female Herdier! Do you _see_ wrinkles on my perfect face?! I could be a model!"

"A model? You have a face fit only for radio!"

"What?! You're about to know what good slap feels like! Just _wait_ until I catch you!"

James could see Jessie sprinting on the street below him, and she was quickly gaining on the poor, unknowing pink-haired Team Skull grunt. Jessie's conduct was poor given their new titles and jobs, but James wasn't going to bring it up. He didn't have the guts to, especially when she looked like a Typhlosion preparing to use Eruption. Or maybe Unbound Hoopa. James almost wished she wouldn't catch the girl. He didn't want to risk witnessing a potential fight and have to drag Jessie away. He didn't want to risk getting fired already.

"Why are you running?!" Meowth yelled, turning into an alleyway and out of sight.

"Arrgh!" the blue-haired boy shouted. When James looked forwards again, Growlie had a tight grip on the boy's leg. He was hopping on one leg, flailing his other in a failed attempt to free himself. James caught up quickly, but the boy continued running away despite Growlie's best efforts to pull him back.

"Stop!" James yelled, surging onwards. Unfortunately, he didn't see the drop ahead of him. He ran into the boy at full speed. They fell through a board of wooden planks and over the edge. Luckily, they somehow vaulted the road below them and landed in the sea of the Heahea waterfront.

They sank beneath the surface, scuffling with one another. The boy punched out, catching James on the cheek, but the resistance of the water gave it little force. Eventually, after a lot of kicking and swinging arms, much like a tantrum, James restrained the boy and kicked to the surface.

When he emerged, Growlie was doggy paddling beside him, looking much too pleased with himself. Jessie was stood on the road with the girl raised off the ground by her shirt, and Meowth was somehow dragging the large boy behind him triumphantly.

"Alright, show us the Pokémon you stole!" Jessie screamed at her captive.

"We told you, wench, we dint steal Pokémon! All we got are empty Pokéballs! And we _bought_ 'em," the girl fearlessly said; the youth these days were so rude. She opened one of the Pokéballs and as she said, there was nothing inside.

"But you said you borrowed them without asking!" Meowth said.

"Well we lied, didn't we?" the large boy answered.

"Wait, then why did you run?" James asked, slowly making his way to the shore.

The boy he was restraining shrugged. "It's fun, innit?"

"You did it just to inconvenience us?!" Jessie screamed again.

"Ye."

"Are you kidding me?" Meowth asked, palming his face. "What, so all you do is cause pointless trouble?"

James sighed to himself. Jessie continued shouting in the background, but he tuned it out. He couldn't believe this. They had spent the whole afternoon chasing these kids down and all they were doing was pretending to shoplift for fun. They had thought it was something more serious. James supposed that was just the life of a police officer. Honestly, it wasn't too glamorous, but he felt like he had done good anyway because, had they been criminals, he would have caught them. Of course, they still had to confirm with the shopkeeper whether they did, in fact, pay for them or not.

"Uh, what are you guys doing?"

Ash Ketchum was looking at them from just up the street. He was with the girl in white they had seen with him when they popped in before; James forgot her name.

"Just, uh, the duty of your everyday police people," James said, finally able to stand up in the water. It must have looked completely bizarre to Ash, seeing him drenched with a boy in an arm hold and Jessie looking like she was about to kill someone. Plus, Meowth dragging a kid triple his size by the ankles.

Ash frowned, moving his gaze to Jessie and her fury-induced strength that let her raise the girl effortlessly off the floor. He looked back at James with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, some of us are more professional than others," James sheepishly said.

"Right…" Ash muttered. "Well, could you guys come over to the hotel when you're done for the day? There's something I've gotta ask."

"Sure," Jessie said. "Right after I shove this chick in a jail cell anyway."


	28. Chapter 27: Team Rocket's Revelation

Chapter 27:

Team Rocket's Revelation

"And it turned out they _didn't _pay for them! Can you believe that?! How many times can one group of people lie at once?" Jessie asked, slamming her cup onto the table.

"Are you seriously asking me that? You, of all people?" Ash asked incredulously.

"Yeah, he's got a point there, Jessie," Meowth input.

"Yes, thank you Meowth, that was _so _helpful. They weren't even arrested either, just sent on their way. I can still see their smug faces!"

"At least our superior commended our effort," James said, flopping forwards onto the table. "But I'm beat. That's the most exercise I've done since coming to Alola."

"You guys seem to have some sort of war going on with Team Skull," Ash said.

"Somewhat," Jessie answered.

"We've caught a few of them vandalising and stealing; it's kind of like an ode to where we began as Rocket grunts. Strangely, they usually get off with a warning as with today. I'm not too sure why that is," James said. He sat back up, stretching out his back. "Anyway, enough about our mess of a day. Why did you call us, Ash?"

"So, it turns out Oak's trial is finally going ahead," Ash explained. "It's happening sometime next week. As the victim, I have to show up on a video call, and my mum said you guys are being asked for too, as witnesses."

Upon seeing their response, Ash doubled over in laughter at the sheer, ugly contortions that overtook the trio's expressions. It seemed they didn't like the idea of fraternising with the Kantonians after their rocky history.

James was the first to collect himself, coughing to clear his throat. "As much as I would love to be the one to put Oak away, won't it be a bit… awkward for us?"

"Apparently Blue — an ex-champion of Kanto — has negotiated with Lance and your pasts are being ignored for the time being."

"Look, I know we're law-enforcing citizens now, but won't the fuzz in Kanto be a little peeved?" Meowth asked.

"Yeah, probably," Ash said, shrugging.

"So, is this really a good idea?"

"Hmm… Yeah, probably."

"We are the only witnesses," James reasoned. "Well, the only ones not controlled by Oak."

"Eh, sounds annoying."

"Ignoring Jessie," James said, earning himself a hostile 'hey', "yes, we will attend. It is the least we can do."

"Thank you, James," Ash said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've taken leadership of this group lately."

"Oh, definitely not," James denied, waving him off.

"Good. At least you know that," Jessie said. Ash exchanged an amused glance with James. He was way too kind, always trying to appease Jessie's ego.

"Now that that's sorted, Ash, there's something we need to tell you," James said. "When do you think you can get Brock, Dawn, and Clemont together?

"Probably tomorrow night; Clemont's out right now. Why?"

"Excellent," James said. "We want to tell you the reason we left Team Rocket. We didn't say anything for a while because of your whole situation. We didn't want to burden you with more bad news. Now that that is somewhat sorted, we'd like to tell you about it."

"Alright," Ash said, nodding. "I'll mention it when I go upstairs. See you back here tomorrow evening?"

"It's a plan," Meowth said.

Following their talk, the trio headed to their rooms for the evening. Ash made to follow intending to relay their message when the lady at the front desk stopped him.

"May I have a moment of your time?"

"Yes, of course," Ash said, subconsciously righting his tone to fit hers.

"You are one of the occupants of rooms three-nineteen and three-twenty, yes?" Ash nodded. "I must inform you that your payment for the rooms only covers the end of this week. You have one day left, so would you like to pay for an extension?"

"Ah, no thank you," Ash said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. The hotel was spectacular, but it was much too fancy for his taste. Their group looked severely out of place among the refined yet pompous adults, and Ash could tell it made them uncomfortable. Lillie especially.

"Excellent! Thank you for your time," the lady said happily, turning to the papers on her desk.

_Sound a bit happier why don't you, _Ash thought, heading for the stairs. His focus was interrupted once more when he saw Mallow in the adjacent room — the one designated for the phone and computers.

"Hey, Mallow," Ash said, taking a seat on the stool beside her. "What you up to?"

"Oh, hi Ash!" Mallow said, pulling one earphone out. "I'm just checking over Poké-Vision. There's a new video out from Elesa. It's a collaboration with her best friend, Skyla."

"Oh, Elesa has a profile? Yeah, she would, wouldn't she, being a model and all."

"Yep! She's my second favourite. I just love her fashion shows, too. Not to mention she's a Gym Leader!" Mallow fawned to herself. She suddenly turned on Ash, leaning in close. "Wait, you travelled through Unova, right? Ooooh, you probably met her! I'm so jealous!"

"Hah, yeah, I have met her, Skyla too. Elesa's great, just as she seems. She's not one of those fake celebrities. Honestly, she's pretty fond of puns. I imagine she and Kukui would get along because of that, Samson too," Ash said.

He glanced at the screen, which displayed Mallow's favourites list and a video of Elesa playing in the corner. At the top of the list was Serena's name. Ash sharply inhaled.

"Has your favourite Visioner uploaded anything else recently?" Ash bravely asked. Brave to himself, at least. He could feel his voice wavering, but it seemed Mallow was too occupied to notice.

"Who, Serena?" Mallow asked absently, scrolling onto Serena's page. "No, she hasn't uploaded any new videos. Actually, she's taken down her latest video, the one mentioning her boyfriend and the friend she lost. She even apologised for the video, for some reason. Right now, her status says 'Away on Business'. It's kinda strange."

_She deleted it? _Ash wondered, his chest fluttering with some mixed, unidentifiable feeling. The video was about her coming to terms with his supposed death and living on, so what did that mean? And why did she apologise? "Right…"

"Hello Mallow, Ash," Lana said in a tired tone upon entering the hotel.

"Hallo!"

"Hey, Lana." Seeing her heading for the stairs, Mallow said, "Come over here!"

"Oh, no, I'll leave you to it," Lana said quickly, ducking up the stairs. Ash frowned. He had seen it when they went Mantine Surfing too. To him, it looked like Lana was avoiding Mallow, pushing her away, distancing herself from her. But then Lana had quickly dragged Mallow into a room when they were choosing, clearly wanting to stay with her. Something was going on there, but he couldn't quite figure it out.

"Don't stay up too late," Ash said to Mallow, saying goodnight and leaving for his room.

Ash informed Brock and Dawn of James' plan — he left Brock to relay the message to Clemont when he got back — then spent the rest of the evening in his room, waiting for Lillie to return from her jog.

Ash decided to check in on Litten, remembering his defeated expression after the battle. Immediately after letting him out of his Pokéball Ash knew something was wrong. Litten's large golden eyes were downcast, void of that twinkle that made them look electric, his head was bowed, his ears folded at the tips.

"Litten…" Ash breathed. He recognised the look in Litten's eyes: a jumble of shame and disappointment. He recognised it all too well. "What's up, buddy?"

For about a minute, Litten said nothing; the room became drenched in silence. Ash said nothing more, either. He merely looked Litten in the eye. He wouldn't speak until Litten was ready. Experience had taught him to do that. In the past, he had pried whenever somebody was upset, but now, he would offer an ear and wait for them to open up when they were ready. Although, if something was evidently killing somebody on the inside, he wouldn't hesitate to pry. He couldn't allow people to suffer so deeply if he knew of it. It didn't appear Litten was at that stage.

Another minute later, Litten meowed a few times.

"So, it is about the battle with Hau," Ash confirmed aloud. "Does it have something to do with your battle against Rowlet?"

Litten confirmed it immediately by the way he made excuses and berated himself. _I shouldn't have lost. I should have been at a big advantage. I'm too weak. I failed._

Ash saw himself in Litten's words. He heard the voices that had slated him however many weeks ago — he had no idea how long had passed. Litten exuded that same insecurity Ash had experienced in the early stages of his journey whenever he lost, and after having his whole existence questioned. That feeling of being inferior, of being too weak. Litten was like his younger self, only just emerging into the world.

In actuality, Ash wasn't far wrong. All he knew of Litten's past was that he had been abandoned in that warehouse and lived there alone for some time. Naturally, that had to have affected him. Maybe whatever had happened in his past was heightening his feelings of worthlessness now.

Ash tried his best to console Litten by telling him everybody loses, that everybody experiences what he's feeling, but Litten retorted to everything like a stubborn child. He was in denial. He didn't believe anything Ash was saying. Again, just like a child. Ash quickly realised that was the problem. Litten's heart was still a child, yet to learn of the wider world. A child that only knows abandonment and dejection. Becoming immersed in battling was probably the first thing Litten had enjoyed in a long while, so feeling inadequate at it would affect him tremendously. Litten was almost a reflection of the person Ash had been when he arrived in Alola.

"Listen, Litten," Ash said, laying his hand gently on Litten's head. "What you're feeling is only natural. All of my Pokémon have felt it before. You know how strong Pikachu is. He only became this way because we fought through those feelings. We've lost countless times, but we've always come back stronger because of each one. You've even done it. You didn't get so dejected after fighting Salazzle."

All Litten said was _That's different_, before leaping from the bed and scurrying out the door.

"Litten!" Ash called, and then sighed because he realised it was in vain. Litten just needed time to calm down. But that didn't mean he wasn't worried. Ash grabbed two Pokéballs from his bag and went out to the balcony, sending out Staraptor and Talonflame in the dusk sky.

"Hey, guys. Can you keep an eye on Litten for me?" Ash asked, earning himself two quick chirps of confirmation. They whipped around and swooped away in tandem.

Ash spent a few minutes longer on the balcony, watching the night sky slowly rearing its head. He could see Lillie lightly jogging along the nearly vacant beachfront, and when he considered what an amazing view it was, the lady's words from earlier about their tenure being up came to his mind. He'd have to let the others know tomorrow, as well as think up another plan for where they were going to stay. He figured their best bet was the next Poké-Center they found. Hopefully, it would be quite close to his next trial location. He'd have to check with everyone first, of course.

Lillie returned a few minutes later. She immediately dived for the bathroom having looked in the direction of the mirror. When Ash asked what was wrong, she said she didn't want him seeing her looking like a tomato berry in a field of snow. Whatever that meant.

When Lillie exited the shower, all of her damp yet shining blonde hair loose down her back, they spent a short while on her phobia — during which time Ash told her about the need to find a new place to stay — before heading to sleep.

Once again, Ash didn't sleep immediately. He waited until he heard the creak of the door, for Litten to pad into the room and curl up in the corner. When Litten fell asleep, Ash opened the balcony doors and let Staraptor and Talonflame in, returning them with a 'thank you'. Only after locking all the doors and returning the smile Lillie gave him, who had one sleepy eye open while she watched, did he sleep.

* * *

"Nah, nah, nah! Ash, you've gotta make a Z with your arms and shoulders," Hau instructed, demonstrating the pose for Breakneck Blitz. "Your forearms are the top of the Z, and the rest of your arms and shoulders should kinda connect the two parts."

"Like this?" Ash asked, moving his arms to what he seemed to assume was the correct position. He turned towards Lillie, who had been given the job of judging Ash's stance.

"Hmm, not quite," she said. "Raise your top arm a little bit more." Ash did as she said. Lillie placed a hand to her lips, glancing between the two analytically, before nodding. "That seems about right."

"Awesome!" Ash said, sighing and dropping his arms. "We've been at this for hours. I wanna get to using the moves already…"

"Z-Moves are kinda like dance moves. You have to learn all the steps first, then you give it a go with the Z-Ring," Hau said. "It took me practising Breakneck Blitz loads of times for Rowlet and Pichu to learn it."

"Hau is right, Ash. There is no need to get impatient-pika," Pikala said.

"Yeah, I know, I know," Ash said. "I'm just determined!"

Pikachu made what Lillie could only make out as a snarky comment.

"Yes, that _is _how I'm gonna phrase it! Quiet, Pikachu!" Ash said, but he joined in with his partner's laughter anyway.

"How's about you try the movements together now-pika? Mine first!" Pikala asked.

"Sure," Ash said, taking his stance. "Let's do it, Pikachu."

Starting from an X in front of his face, Ash swung his arms outwards and to his sides, then punched them out in front of him, his left atop his right. He brought his hands together beside his head again and moved them downwards in a zigzag pattern, Pikachu mimicking him all the while. Ash's next movements brought a giggle to Lillie's lips, not because of the movements themselves but how unsuited they were to Ash. He swung his arms up beside his head like ears, then tweaked his hands twice beside his cheeks, this time mimicking Pikachu who charged his pouches. He ended with his arms beside his head like ears again, and Hau didn't even bother pretending that he wasn't laughing. He guffawed so obnoxiously it caused Ash to drop his head.

Ash glanced up at Pikala. "Are you sure they're the right movements?"

"Of course-pika! And you pulled them off perfectly! All you need to do is the punch when Pikachu charges up."

"Is that so?" Ash said, rubbing his chin. "Alright, well, I guess I'll just own it. No point brooding. Let's try again!"

Surprisingly, Lillie couldn't find any humour in Ash's movements the second time. He performed them more certainly, without embarrassment. How he had let go of his embarrassment so easily, Lillie didn't know. For a boy like Ash, performing a cute little dance was probably mortifying. He was so much more mature than Hau.

After practising the moves for Catastopika once more, then Breakneck Blitz three times, once with each of his Pokémon — Litten was very half-hearted — Ash flopped onto the grass. He stretched his arms out, rolling his shoulders, and thanked Pikala and Hau.

"Same thing tomorrow? We can get to work actually using the Z-Moves," Ash said.

"Sure-pika!"

"You got it, Ash."

Their Z-Move training for the day completed, the group dispersed. Lillie and Ash returned to their bags alone, grabbing a quick snack before they left the valley.

"Where are we heading next?" Lillie asked excitedly, like a child on a school trip.

"The route beyond Paniola Town! That's the next place to look for a trial. I hope you don't mind me dragging you all over the place."

"Not at all!" Lillie said. If anything, she enjoyed it. Ash's daily schedule was always random. He constantly delved into impromptu activities such as the battle with Hau and their Z-Move training. Spending the day with him was like having your life controlled by a never-ending wheel of fortune. It was quite fun to join in that uncertainty. It was freeing, even.

They exited the valley and entered Paniola Town, which was a spectacle of its own right. Unlike the lavish and clean stone Heahea City was built from, Paniola Town looked like it was ripped out of the past. The houses were built from wooden planks and pallets, with either roofed porches or fenced balconies. The streets were dusty and muddy dirt roads marked with indents of wheels that could only be carriages. A wooden fence ringed the town, and scattered around were wooden barrels and boxes, and bales of hay being munched on by small Mudbray. There was a water tower beside the entrance, and a large wooden windmill in the background, gently rotating in the breeze. The farmland laying beyond matched the town perfectly.

Lillie glanced in every direction as they passed through Paniola Town and into Paniola Ranch. Batches of pastures made into pens by wooden fences lined the path, holding Miltank, Tauros, Mudbray, breeders in dungarees and hay and barrels scattered around within. She absorbed as much of the sights as she could. The path forked left and right outside a small wooden hut, and they came to a stop.

"Hmm, which way to go…" Ash muttered.

"Umm, Rotom, do you know which way we should go?" Lillie asked. The red dex swooped out of her bag, knocking the zip open a little more than it had been.

"Ehh… so you do have things in your bag other than Nebby…" Ash muttered.

"O-Of course I do!" Lillie said, feeling herself involuntarily blushing. She was way too easily flustered.

"It seems that the route—" Rotom began.

"Alright, let's go left!" Ash said, cutting off Rotom and making his way forwards.

"Did you figure out which way we're supposed to be going?" Lillie asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, I have no idea where I'm going," Ash said, laughing.

"What-zzt?!" Rotom shouted, an exclamation mark appearing on the screen.

"Yeah, how would I know where I'm going?" Ash asked, turning to them. "Something I've learned after countless adventures and loads of exploring is that it's better this way. If you have a destination in mind, you know the exact route and you stick to it, you can miss out on so much. You miss the small things: little adventures that can crop up from nowhere, Pokémon you may not see, people you may not meet. After all, the journey's no fun if you know where you're going."

_How does he do it every time? _Lillie wondered, watching Ash as he fought his way through Route 5. It was such a simple idea, and yet Lillie knew she would quote Ash on it forever. The way he turned such a trivial ordeal of checking a map into an important lesson — at least to her — without conscious effort was such a beautiful talent.

But that moment was not an anomaly. No matter the situation, Ash always surprised her, be it his words or his actions. He didn't conform to the methods of the masses, even in such simple situations as checking a map for their location. He deviated, created his own pathway, as she saw when he taught Rockruff Thunder Fang. He didn't follow the rudimentary style of battling but fashioned a style of his own, one so outlandish and unique it would be hard to copy.

Then there was Ash as a person. His compassion and kindness were so true and copious that he even stood out in Alola, where neighbours, even strangers living on different streets, were like family. Two traits so deep and loving that, even when he was personally in agony, he helped other people without a reason. She saw that when he saved her. His happiness and excitement were contagious, his determination admirable. He surprised her every day.

Yet, Lillie didn't know much about Ash in the grand scheme of things. She realised that after the unveiling of his hardships by Hala. She knew what they all knew, and that was what he had told them, but for a reason she couldn't decipher, a reason that had her heart quickening whenever she thought about it, Lillie wanted to know more about Ash. The reason for his dream, what keeps him motivated, how he thinks about different things. Despite her hesitance to explain anything about herself, she wanted to know everything.

"Hmm?" Ash asked, bringing her attention back to him about twenty minutes into the route. "Where's Nebby?"

"Ahh!" Lillie cried, grabbing her back and peering inside. The zip had been pried the whole way open and Nebby was gone. Frantically, Lillie looked up and began scanning the area in a panic. Nebby could have gotten so far in twenty minutes. Thankfully, she spotted Nebby hovering in the glass behind them with some Fomantis and Metapod, the two cloud-like extensions protruding from its body bobbing in delight. "Nebby! Get back in the bag!"

* * *

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Ash breathed in what Lillie could only attribute as frustration. His head was bowed slightly, his index finger and thumb rubbing the underneath of his eyes. They had just spent another two hours exploring Route 5, battling wild Pokémon and trainers alike. Having passed a Poké-Center a few minutes ago — outside of which Lillie suggested that be their new lodgings — they arrived at a canopy of leaves. Beside the clearing stood a signpost. Lillie poked her head around Ash and read the sign.

**Brooklet Hill – Designated trial site for the island challenge.**

"Wasn't Brooklet Hill the place Lana went fishing?" Lillie asked.

"Yep, and that must mean this is the Water-Type Trial…" Ash muttered, raising his head and pulling his bag on properly again. "Let's have a look, shall we?"

Through the canopy were some wooden steps leading down to a boardwalk across a lake. On the other side of the boardwalk was a small beach, on which rested two pillars identical to the ones outside of Ilima's trial. And, as expected, Lana stood in the centre, her arms folded.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive, Ash!" Lana said as they approached. She was smirking at Ash, then she softened to a smile when her gaze fell on Lillie. "Hiya, Lillie."

"Hello," Lillie greeted.

"So, this _is_ the Water Trial, then?" Ash asked, scratching the back of his head. He wore a thinking face.

"It is indeed, should the small lake be any indication."

"Well, yeah, and you're here…"

"Point taken."

"Ash, are you going to take on the trial today?" Lillie asked. Ash shook his head.

"Nope, not today. There's… something I've gotta try to sort out beforehand," Ash said.

"That's probably for the best. I've still gotta put the final touches on my trial," Lana said.

"I see. Then, how about two days from now? That should give us both enough time to get ready, right? Plus, that'll let us move into rooms in the Poké-Center near here since we've gotta move soon," Ash suggested.

"Ah, yeah, they told me about that too. The earlier the better, I'd say. They're seriously giving us looks…" Lana said.

"They really are…" Lillie added.

"So, two days from now?" Ash reiterated.

"Hmm… How about three? I'm kind of having a bit of trouble, so I may need a little longer."

"Alright then, three days! I can't wait!" Ash shouted, punching the air. Lillie smiled, a consequence of his enthusiasm. Seeing him so happy made her happy.

They spoke with Lana for a short while longer before departing for Heahea City.

Upon re-entering the city, Lillie explained how she wanted to go and meet somebody at a nearby lab, so Ash escorted her. When they arrived, Lillie gave a bow and disappeared inside, content with the day she had had. As if he never tired, Ash said that he was going to train a little more and he headed for the hotel battlefields. Lillie couldn't believe how enthusiastic he was. That was just another aspect of Ash she wanted to know the origin of.

* * *

After his day training, Ash took a shower and headed downstairs to meet those that were already present for James' aforementioned news, Team Rocket's revelation. He gave his greetings and took a seat around the table, joining them in waiting for Clemont.

Currently, James and Brock, and Dawn and Jessie were talking to one another, the former pair about James' new job, the latter about the contests Dawn had competed in recently. If the steady, repetitive bouncing of her knee was any indication, Dawn was ruffled by Jessie's constant preaching about how she would have done even better had she continued as a coordinator.

Five minutes later, Clemont stumbled through the door, completely out of breath as per usual.

"Jeez, Clemont, you're so slow!" Ash said jokingly.

"Yes, thank… you… Bonnie," Clemont breathed. He lifted his head, confused. "Wait… Ash!"

A loud round of laughs filled the table — something Ash noticed made the other occupants of the room look restless — and Clemont took his seat.

"Alright, that's everyone," Ash said, turning to James. "So, what's up?"

James cleared his throat. "Well, as I told Ash, we want to explain the reason we left Team Rocket."

"Yes, I've been quite curious about that myself," Brock said.

"Me too. You followed Ash for so long. Something big must have happened for you to change your whole lives," Dawn added.

"Pretty much," Jessie said, seriously for once.

"As you know, we arrived home from Kalos and returned to the Rocket HQ. While there, we gave our report to our higher-ups to pass it on to Giovanni and then decided to head to our quarters," James explained.

"But, see, on the way there, we hatta go past one of the main briefing rooms. A light was on and we heard voices from inside. So, you know, Jessie being Jessie, she forcefully 'suggested we take a peek and see what's goin' on, get in on a big mission for once. She proceeded to push us towards the door despite James' complaints and we ended up eavesdropping," Meowth continued.

"Good job I did, too!" Jessie retorted, huffing as she swung back on her chair, the tips of her lengthy purple hair swiping the ground.

"Yes, we thank you wholeheartedly," Meowth said sarcastically.

Ash said nothing about the fact that they weren't staying focused in the slightest. He rather enjoyed the banter between them. It was refreshing to see that they were actually so close to one another and not just colleagues.

"In a sense, Jessie did indeed get us out of there," James interrupted. "Inside the room were two of the four Team Rocket Admins, Archer and Ariana. They were talking about the past when Team Rocket disbanded for a few years, back before we were recruited. They said a bunch of different things about how they rose from the ashes since, but then the conversation took a darker turn."

"According to them, Team Rocket is on their way down the road to disbandment again because of the continual failures of not only the grunts but the whole organisation. Behind Giovanni's back, they were worried that the whole organisation would soon collapse," Jessie explained.

"We're conniving, but not enough to talk like that behind Giovanni's back…" Meowth added.

"Indeed. So, we ended up overhearing their plan to rectify it. In their words, they were going to 'eliminate the cause of their decline'. In other words, they were planning to eliminate whatever group, faction, person, or Pokémon that was causing such damage to Team Rocket," James said.

"Eliminate?!" Ash loudly spoke, careful not to raise his voice too much to startle the other guests, but loud enough to show how horrified he was. Were they talking about murder?

"As in… kill them?" Clemont asked in a trembling voice.

"I thought you said you didn't know if it was bad or not!" Dawn hissed.

"We don't! Eliminate can mean two things," James said. "As you are suggesting, it can mean to kill the responsible party. However, it can also mean to take down the opposing party, thus eliminating them from causing Team Rocket any issues. However, at that moment, we took the former as the truth."

"It was only natural," Jessie said. "We have never wanted to kill anybody, even if we once used bombs to attack a party of Squirtle…"

"You did what?!" Dawn asked, shouting without a care for the other guests.

"We only planned to injure them, ok?!" Jessie defended.

Ash sighed. "Yeah, I remember that. The Squirtle Squad. Not one of your best moments, that's for sure."

"Hey, we were young grunts looking to impress the boss, ok!" Meowth said.

"I was ten and you threw bombs at me!" Ash countered.

"Oh yeah…"

"Getting back on topic," Jessie said, "we heard that they may be looking to 'eliminate' people and we fled, especially after they said they didn't care about any civilian casualties either and that Giovanni agreed. Before going, though, we did get a peek inside the room. Archer and Ariana were on a call with a bunch of different screens open. We couldn't see who they were talking to, though. Since then, we had a sort of revelation about whether what we were doing was right, if it was worth it. The whole situation with Ash made us realise we needed to change."

"Arceus…" Brock muttered, falling back into his chair.

"What on earth is going on with the world lately?" Clemont breathlessly asked.

Ash had to agree with Clemont on that point. There was his situation, shifty men lurking around Oak's ranch according to Brock, an unidentified Pokémon laying waste to Pallet Town, now the possibility of Team Rocket planning murder. Not to mention the Kalos crisis a few months back and the one with Unbound Hoopa, and the emergence of his Bond Phenomenon. Too many things were happening at once for it to be coincidental, but with no common thread connecting them.

"Do you have any idea who these unknown people could be?" Ash asked.

All three ex-Rocket members shook their heads in unison.

"Another team, maybe?" Dawn suggested.

"Unlikely," Jessie said. "If you take Cassidy and Butch and us as examples, even people within Team Rocket didn't get along. Cooperation with other teams would be even harder."

"What if they're the same people as the ones around Oak's ranch?" Brock asked.

Well, any common thread that wasn't completely farfetched. Ash considered that to be a bit of a reach. Nobody that would have been at the ranch could have done anything that warranted the need to have potential murderers watching them. Unless it was Oak.

"I don't know, Brock," Ash said, and he voiced his thoughts. "Maybe for Oak, at a stretch, but—"

"Yeah, I know it's a bit of a reach," Brock said.

"No, I don't think it has anything to do with your situation, Ash. We just wanted to let you know," James said. "Please don't worry too much. This is our mess to deal with."

"If you say so," Ash said, but he knew it would stick in his mind. It was such a large bombshell that he couldn't forget it even if he wanted to.

That night, Ash couldn't sleep for an entirely different reason.


	29. Chapter 28: Mallow's Worries

Chapter 28:

Mallow's Worries

"I don't believe it! You're Clemont, the inventing prodigy!" Sophocles exclaimed through the Poké-Center monitor, pointing a tiny, stubby index finger at the bespectacled blonde, who looked positively giddy at the recognition. "I'm a huge fan! I love tinkering with machines and Electric-Type Pokémon too!"

"Really?!" Clemont asked, tweaking his glasses which glinted white exactly as they did whenever he was moments from unveiling a new invention. "It's been a while since I've met somebody so like-minded!"

Ash lingered near the monitor a few minutes longer until his presence was all but ignored in favour of a complex scientific discussion. The further they delved into the intricate language of coding and technology the more confused Ash became – that wasn't exactly his forte. Deciding that he needn't act as their mediator due to their mutual awkwardness when meeting new people any longer, Ash left the geeky pair as they weirdly bonded over their shared inability to exert themselves without running out of breath – a more modest way of saying they were poor at exercise – and joined his other friends.

Another day of training had vanished into the fog of time, during which Ash had attempted to finally materialise Rockruff's new move and soothe Litten's worried soul, both to no avail. Rockruff's lack of success he didn't mind; they still had time to learn Rock Throw. Litten's situation, however, had him constantly worried. The small cat was half-hearted during training and nothing Ash tried seemed to lift his spirits. They were to challenge Lana's trial in a couple of days, and Ash had to fix his mood by then.

On a more positive note, Ash had mastered the movements for his Z-Moves with Hau and Pikala's help and Lillie's assistance. He had pulled off Catastropika again – this time with the movements – and Breakneck Blitz with Rockruff and Pikachu. But still nothing with Litten, which was, as of recently, dishearteningly normal.

It was the evening now, and the first time their whole group had gathered together once more since their paths diverged somewhat, if only due to their change of lodgings. As Lillie had suggested, they took up residence in the Poké-Center near Brooklet Hill. They were hidden away amidst the dim overgrowth like a cottage nestled in an enchanted forest, the sounds of chirping birds and rustling bushes prominent in all directions: Ash much preferred it to the city.

When they had arrived, they booked rooms and settled with the same sleeping arrangements as before, even with how proactive Lana had suddenly become at suggesting that Mallow and Lillie swap, an argument that made Ash wonder just what was going on with Lana and Mallow recently. Surprisingly, Lillie had been the one to decide to keep it the same, even after Dawn suggested she stay with her.

The Poké-Center turned out to be a much more comfortable and friendly atmosphere than the hotel, emphasised by Nurse Joy allowing them to gather in the foyer to catch up and even page a call to Sophocles on the large monitor so he could join. Suffice to say, Ash was more content with staying in the Pokémon-Center, and he could tell the others were too.

"I knew they'd get along well," Ash said, sitting comfortably on a chair beside Lana and Brock.

"Yeah," Lana agreed.

"They may not be the most social or stand out much, but together you probably couldn't quiet them down," Kiawe said.

Hau grunted in response. "I gotta be honest, I kinda forgot about Sophocles for a minute there…"

A collective groan resounded but nobody made a chiding comment; that was Hau's personality, after all.

"That's so like you, Hau," Mallow simply said instead, her dangling strands of hair swinging like vines in the wind as she shook her head.

"To be fair, you guys didn't tell Brock and I about Sophocles either," Dawn said, and nobody could properly respond to her nonchalant bluntness.

Brock heaved a sigh. "Ignoring Dawn's inability to read the mood—"

"Hey!"

"—which she learned from Ash—"

"Hey!"

"—have you informed Sophocles about your situation yet, Ash?" Brock asked.

"Not yet," Ash answered. "I was going to, but then—"

"They started geeking out like champs?" Hau asked.

"For lack of a better description, yeah," Ash said. "Let's wait until they've finished talking to tell him."

And that they did, fifteen minutes later when Sophocles and Clemont had finished a long discussion concerning Clembot and its semi-human capabilities.

Cosily compact, Ash proceeded to relay the story to Sophocles with aid from Brock, Dawn, and Clemont. That was only his third time retelling the story – once to his Pokémon in the forest, once to his friends when Hala intervened, and once now – and Ash felt slightly more comfortable explaining it. It wasn't much – he still hesitated a lot and chocked on his words a bit – but he was getting there. He was healing.

* * *

It was painful enough for her to hear it the first time, so when Ash began retelling the story of his friends turning on him like fans to a celebrity who made one human mistake, Mallow's heart hurt again.

When Ash had told his story the first time, which he had done on the brink of a breakdown, Mallow thought she had come to terms with the situation after they consoled Ash the next morning. Hearing it again told her otherwise. The more he said, the more her cheerful emotions waned. She tried her best to keep up looks in front of the group, most of whom were still smiling despite the story – all except Lillie. But it was hard to do when the person that had unknowingly seized her affection looked like he was hurting. As he hurt, she hurt.

But Mallow wasn't just hurting; she was frustrated with herself. Despite her sympathy for Ash's situation, and despite the hardships he had endured, Mallow still criticized herself for not noticing Ash's pain. She knew she shouldn't; Ash had hidden it better than a Pokémon in Phantom Force, yet she couldn't stop her self-depreciation, and that's what made her frustrated. It was because she was known as the mother among the group, the one everyone came to for help with their problems, the one that everyone relied on, the one that could see beyond any mental shield her friends tried using. But she had failed. She hadn't seen beyond Ash, the person she had a deep crush on. If she didn't have that anymore, she didn't know who she was.

By the end of the explanation, Sophocles looked mortified. A long silence fell during Sophocles' initial reaction. Mallow assumed, because that was what she had done, Sophocles was comprehending everything he had been told. He then repeated everything the rest of the group had responded with the next morning: he asked whether Ash was alright, he said he couldn't believe everything he heard, then became quiet again.

Informing Sophocles of the situation that unfolded in his absence was a necessity, but Ash's tale layered a heavy atmosphere in the room as if a Heart Swap had been used to exchange the cheery mood for a melancholic one. It was evident to Mallow that Ash didn't want that. He quickly overthrew the gloomy mood by deflecting the conversation to a more positive note. More specifically, onto his upcoming challenge at Lana's trial, something everyone was quick to comment on. A debate started after he mentioned it, pitting Ash succeeding in the trial against Lana's trial proving too difficult for him. Kiawe immediately voted for Ash.

"Ok, Kiawe can't vote. He's too biased," Lana said.

"I'm most certainly not!"

"Aww, come on!" Ash complained. "In that case, as your best friend, Mallow can't vote either!"

Given his smirk, Ash seemed to think his comment was a fair comeback, but half of the room bluntly laughed in his face.

"Hah, go for it," Lana said, "you'll just be losing another vote anyway!"

"Huh?"

Normally, Mallow would have shrieked at Lana's suggestive comment, stumbling to defuse the situation, but she only looked to her lap this time. Mallow was listening, but her focus rested on Ash and how quickly he had taken the conversation away from himself to please his friends. That was one reason she didn't reply. The second was that she didn't know who she would favour anymore, but that was a trivial matter at the moment.

A second later, Ash said something that had Mallow's heart set to fast-forward.

"Ok, guys, what's going on? You're all laughing. I feel like I'm missing something here…"

Mallow covered her cheeks with her palms because she could feel the heat rising on them. Luckily, the rest of the room drowned out the comment when the thunderous laughter resumed. Ash attempted to ask why everyone was laughing, but nobody even provided a hint. For that, Mallow was more than thankful. She wanted to reveal her secret herself.

It didn't take long for the conversation to switch again, this time to Dawn's coordinating. Mallow returned to the room, her thoughts and doubts put away for the moment, with difficulty.

"I took part in my first Pokémon contest on my journey with Ash. I was twelve at the time," Dawn explained.

"T-Twelve?" Sophocles asked.

"Yep. See, Ash's birthday is earlier than mine in the year, so I hadn't had my birthday before my first contest," Dawn explained.

"R-Right, that makes s-sense," Sophocles muttered nervously, probably because he was talking to a girl who he was unfamiliar with.

"W-We haven't asked before, but Ash, how old are you?" Lillie asked, rather eagerly, Mallow noticed. With a similar eagerness, Mallow leaned forwards in her seat. She had been wondering that for a while.

"Oh yeah, I can't believe we haven't asked!" Kiawe added.

"I haven't said?" Ash asked, scratching his head thoughtfully. "I'm sixteen. My birthday is May 22nd, the day before I started my journey. My mum insisted that I celebrate it, or else I would have started it on my birthday…"

"I-I see," Lillie muttered, smiling to herself, her gaze averted to her lap.

"What about you, Lillie? And the rest of you?" Ash asked.

"I am sixteen also. I was born on June 21st," Lillie said.

"The longest day of the year?" Brock asked.

"Yes, the Summer Solstice – the day with the most amount of sunlight. It can fall on either the 20th, 21st, or 22nd. That year, it was the 21st. Interestingly, the day I was born was a solar eclipse. I was born during the eclipse, just as the sun and moon aligned perfectly, according to… my mother," Lillie explained.

"Woah, that's so cool!" Ash exclaimed.

"D-Do you think so?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah! Solar eclipses are amazing!" Ash said. "What about the rest of you? Any cool stories?"

"Well, I was born on October 19th, which so happens to be the anniversary of the last time Wela Volcano erupted," Kiawe said rather proudly.

"Yeah, that explains a lot," Hau said.

"Does that mean you're younger than Ash?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, no, I'm sixteen also. I was born a year before."

"So, you're older…" Ash muttered.

"So am I," Mallow said. That was another reason people called her the mother of the group: she was the oldest excluding Kiawe. "Only by about a month, though. I was born on April 16th."

Subsequently to Mallow's statement, everyone gave their birthdays, and the sharing of the information made the reside of the tension slacken. Mallow already knew most of their birthdays: Lana was born on February 18th, Hau on November 1st, and Sophocles on March 9th, making him the youngest. Brock was quite evidently the oldest, born in the same month as Ash, May 3rd, and Clemont said he was born on August 28th. Dawn told them hers was December 11th, and that she was named because she was born at the first light of dawn. It was interesting to learn more about her new friends – especially Ash – and very amusing when Hau started calling Brock 'big bro', but Mallow was too caught up in the fact that Ash's birthday had already passed. That was unfortunate. Giving him a present could have been her in.

_No_, Mallow thought, _he's hurting at the moment. I can't be thinking about making moves…_

"—been up to? As in, what've you been doing as temporary trial captains?" Mallow heard Ash ask, shaking her thoughts from her head.

"I don't know if it's the same for the rest of you," Mallow said, "but Kahuna Olivia instructed me to make up my own trial that is in some way related to Grass-Types. There were no restrictions, so I've had quite a bit of fun making mine. I put the finishing touches on it today."

"Yes, it's the same with me," Kiawe said. "I've made up a trial that will surely keep you on your toes Ash, Hau."

"Heh, I can't wait to try it!" Hau said.

"Additionally, I asked Kahuna Olivia for something rather… different, shall we say. I think you will find it more significant than anybody else, Ash. I won't say what it is," Kiawe added.

"Ooh, now I'm interested!"

"And you, Lana, Sophocles?" Brock asked.

"Big Mo and I are working on some machines that I'm thinking of incorporating into my trial," Sophocles explained. "So, yes, quite similar to the others."

"I'm setting up a trial too," Lana said. "Although, there is a slight complication with mine, hence why it's taking a bit longer, Ash."

"I see…" Ash muttered, nodding.

"How about you guys? What have you been up to?" Sophocles asked.

Ash took the wheel. He explained all about their adventure to Treasure Island, his, Lillie, and Hau's visit to Pikachu Valley, and how he's been training non-stop.

"But it's not my progress you all should be focusing on," Ash then said, settling calmly into his seat. "It's Lillie's. She's doing amazing!"

"Really?! Well done, Lillie!" Mallow exclaimed; her spirits suddenly brightened. She was genuinely happy for her friend. The way not being able to touch Pokémon made Lillie feel was one of the things Mallow had noticed recently: the timid, disheartened glances she took whenever anyone else was around their Pokémon, the way she sighed sometimes. She sympathised with her and wished she had noticed earlier. It was the same with Hau and his battle with Hala, which he told them about earlier. Some of her friends were really struggling and she wasn't seeing it. Why couldn't she see it?

"Progress?" Dawn asked.

"O-Oh… umm… yes. Umm…" Lillie stuttered, clearly uncomfortable with sharing her phobia with somebody she had just met. Mallow wondered how she had so easily told Ash. Lillie probably felt as comfortable around him as she did.

"Ah, it's ok if you don't want to tell us! Either way, well done with making progress!" Dawn said quickly.

"T-Thank you," Lillie said with a little bow.

"Uhhh, so, the Kahuna on Akala is named Olivia?" Ash asked, easily changing the conversation yet again, saving Lillie and his older friends the awkwardness of a lingering silence.

"Yep," Mallow answered. "She's a beautiful Rock-Type trainer."

"A beautiful… Rock-Type trainer…" Brock repeated in a mutter. Suddenly, Brock flew to his feet, a tinge of red taking a hold of his cheeks, his posture upright and tensed and his face twisting out of its natural smile into something more charming. "You must introduce me to her immediately!"

"Settle down, Casanova," Dawn said, sighing, pulling him back into his seat.

From then, the conversation returned to trivial matters and the usual laughter. That atmosphere had been present before meeting Ash, but with him there, and Clemont, Brock, and Dawn, it was to a much deeper degree of camaraderie. Mallow, despite being bombarded by conflicting thoughts, enjoyed the evening in the company of her best and new friends.

* * *

Rockruff jumped, his rear pushed upwards, a rippling white light pulsing from his tail. A circle of small pebbles spawned from the light. Rockruff threw them down at Sceptile below him with all his energy, but they merely bounced off his body. The rocks weren't large enough for the move to be complete.

Ash sighed, watching Rockruff descend back to the sandy battlefield. It had been that way the entire day, of which was nearing its end. Ash had hoped Rockruff would finally learn the move he had so persistently been practising before his trial tomorrow, but it wasn't there yet. They had stagnated on the cusp of incompletion and completion without anything to nudge Rockruff further.

"One more time, Rockruff!"

Ash had said one more time fifteen minutes ago and a hundred times after that. Nonetheless, Rockruff barked and crouched low, poking his rear into the air, enacting that strange habit he picked up while practising – Rockruff's tail wagged quickly in circles as he gathered the energy for the move, almost like the blade of a propeller. It had done so since Ash demonstrated the crouched pose for Rockruff to follow a few days before. Ash didn't get it, but the action seemed to help Rockruff concentrate. Even still, the move didn't work.

Fifteen minutes later as dusk started, transfiguring the sky a brilliant golden colour the more semi-circled the sun became, Ash's quote of 'one more time' became a completely automatic, monotonous command. By the time the final section of the sun was poking above the horizon through the trees, Ash thought of turning in for the night. It was probable that Rockruff was tired and that was hindering his progress.

Slightly exasperated, Ash called for one final attempt, but Rockruff didn't act. Instead, his body a rigid statue, Rockruff was staring at the sunset, a mystified look on his face.

"Rockruff?" Ash asked, taking a step closer.

Rockruff didn't move. Not when Ash tapped his head, not when he waved in front of his face, as if he were frozen, petrified to the spot, or he'd endured too many Glares.

After his apparent stasis, Rockruff unleashed a loud howl, crouched down, and began to store the energy for the move; Ash flinched backwards, yelping when Rockruff suddenly bellowed.

What Ash saw next was unlike his previous attempts. Previously, the light Rockruff stored on his collar was pure white, but this time some golden flecks, almost like confetti, appeared within it. Rockruff jumped, his tail rotating, and the rippling white light reappeared. The rocks spawned. This time they were the perfect size for a Rock Throw. Rockruff launched them ferociously down at Sceptile, who, despite his experience, was knocked back a few steps by the force.

Completely baffled as to why Rockruff had looked so dazed when staring at the dusk sky and yet ecstatic he had learned the move, Ash grabbed Rockruff into his arms and started throwing him up and down, parading around the battlefield in excitement. Finally, Rockruff had a move that could attack from range.

Eventually, Ash clattered into Sceptile, and they all fell into a heap on the ground. The world was beginning to fall asleep, but they could have kept it awake with their laughter.

One of their training goals completed after Ash asked Rockruff to test it a few times, Rockruff and Pikachu scampered back into the hotel and he returned Sceptile. Litten was the only one left.

Once again, Litten's attitude to training had been half-hearted. Ash had tried to talk to him during the session, but all he had received was a comment: _An abandoned Pokémon was abandoned for a reason. _Watching Litten trudge back into the Poké-Center, Ash felt a little bit helpless. If this kept up, Litten would only fall further, and their trial was tomorrow.

Ash had an epiphany. It was Litten's comment. The trial was the key. The trial and then a demonstration afterwards. That was all Ash needed to make Litten feel better. At least, he hoped.

With that thought in mind, Ash ambled back through the Poké-Center, which was now bathed in warm golden lights as the black of the night sky had fallen upon the island. He climbed the stairs to his floor, walked through the hallways, but stopped beside an open set of glass doors, his attention grasped by a figure stood on the balcony overlooking the battlefield in her pink PJs, her emerald hair – that she had let loose – as luminous as the stars above.

"Hey, Mallow," Ash greeted, standing beside her.

"Ash," Mallow said, flinching.

"Ah, sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's ok! I was deep in thought," Mallow said. "It looked like your new move training went well."

"Yeah, we finally figured it out! Just in time too; we're taking on Lana's trial tomorrow."

"I didn't say it before but… I'm rooting for you," Mallow said. Ash noticed how she didn't look him directly in the eye, which was something she always did. Craning his neck further to see her face, Ash saw a weak, contemplative look in her eyes, and her neither happy nor sad expression. Suddenly, Ash was alert, his instinctive compassion activating.

"Is everything alright, Mallow?" Ash asked caringly.

"Yes, I'm—" Mallow started, speaking so quickly it sounded like a reflexive response. She stopped, turned to face Ash. Looking directly in Mallow's eyes, that had dimmed from a sparkling emerald to a paler jade, Ash knew she wasn't ok. "N-No, not really…" she confessed in a rather meek voice, one he hadn't heard from her before.

"…Do you want to talk about it?" Ash asked, purposefully calming his previously excited tone to a gentler one.

Mallow paused for a minute. She looked out at the night sky, then back to Ash. "Yes, I… umm… I-I'm worried… about…" Mallow stuttered, before sighing deeply. "A-Are you ok, Ash?"

"Huh?" Ash asked. "Ah, yeah, I'm ok, why?"

"Why?! Do you really have to ask that?! Your whole situation! Hearing about it the first time, I couldn't believe it, and having to listen to you explain it to Sophocles a second time last night was heart-breaking! I can't imagine what you're going through. I've been so worried these past few days!" Mallow exploded; when she seemed to realise, her face turned scarlet.

But Ash paid no attention to her forming blush nor the unnecessary rambling she descended into afterwards for a reason he couldn't determine. His focus was solely on her words, the fact that she said she was worried, that in her own time she thought of his wellbeing. That was something only a real friend would do. He quickly flashed back to that night on the beach after seeing Serena's Poké-Vision, cursing himself for even questioning their friendship. The answer he had settled on that night was the truth: they were different people.

"You were worried about me?" Ash asked, smiling genuinely.

"Ah, umm, yes," Mallow answered, nodding her head sheepishly.

"Thank you, Mallow."

"That's nothing to thank me for. I-I failed to notice that you were hurting…"

"No, it is," Ash said, shaking his head. "You were upset because you were worried about me. Not just anybody does that. It shows that you care about me," Ash said, watching as the light returned to Mallow's eyes. "But what do you mean you failed to notice I was hurting?"

Mallow looked as if she had revealed her deepest secret. "No, it's nothing…"

"Are you sure?" Ash asked. He didn't want to pry, but it looked like Mallow wanted to talk. "I'm all ears."

"Are _you_ sure? With what you're going through, it's selfish of me to talk about my problems…"

"Mallow, _I'm_ asking _you_," Ash said softly.

"I… ok…" Mallow whispered, and she smiled. "I've always been the person everybody goes to when they're upset or feeling down. I've always been able to notice when people aren't quite themselves. I noticed when Lana had her first crush, how she always wanted to be with them but pushed them away because she was nervous. I noticed Lillie's fear of Pokémon before anyone else – she used to pretend she wasn't afraid. I noticed when Kiawe was distraught because his sister got hurt under his supervision. I even noticed when Sophocles felt left out one day. That's always been my thing.

"I-I can't do it anymore. It's as if I've become blind. I didn't realise that Hau was sad he lost to Hala; he had to tell us for me to see. I've only recently noticed how much her fear of Pokémon affects Lillie, yet you did, and you've started helping her … I didn't notice… how much you were hurting…" Mallow trailed off, glancing wistfully at Ash. "I guess… I don't know who I am without being able to help or comfort my friends, and your situation kind of told me that."

"Mallow…" Ash muttered. He didn't know what to say, so a silence fell between them while he thought about it. They both looked out at the night sky.

"About noticing these things about people…" Ash started, unsure of where he was going. "Don't beat yourself up about it. I've had friends in the past who were dealing with all sorts of things that I didn't notice. I was annoyed at myself, too, but… I guess I realised something. Maybe I didn't notice, but when I did know, I helped them. It's not about being the first to notice. It's not a competition. Just because you don't see they're struggling before they tell you doesn't mean you can't help them, right?"

"Ash…" Mallow breathed.

"As for me… Thank you, Mallow. I'm ok, you don't have to worry. It is hard to deal with at times but I'm getting used to it. I'm healing. It was a bit easier to explain it all to Sophocles yesterday. I have all of you to thank for that. You've all been amazing to me since I met you. I couldn't have met better people when in that situation."

"Ash…" Mallow repeated just as breathlessly, her joyous smile returning. "I'm glad you're ok! I-If you're alright talking about it, can I ask you something? There is one thing I'm curious about."

"Yeah, sure."

"What does it feel like, losing friends you were close to? How did you feel?"

Ash took a moment to think of a way to word it. "I guess… it felt like something precious had been taken from me? I'm probably the only one to compare the two, but it was like I had my Pokémon stolen from right in front of me and I couldn't do anything to save them. It was like a part of me disappeared, like–"

"It's like a part of your world was crumbling away beneath you…"

"I… guess so, yeah…" Ash said, remembering Mallow had lost somebody too. "I wouldn't compare it to how you must have felt when you lost your mother, though. She was a huge part of your life. It… probably felt like you lost everything."

"It did. At least for a while. But I have my father and brother, my Bounsweet, and… I have all of you. I have my memories of her, too. She's not gone. Not really," Mallow answered, glancing out across the sky again. Ash copied her, watching while the breeze brushed over him.

"As for how I felt, well, similar to what you said just now, really. I kinda lost the idea of who I was. All my life, I've been devoted to this idea of becoming a Pokémon Master, but when everyone questioned that and criticised it, I questioned who I am. I questioned my dream."

"And now?"

"Now…?" Ash asked. He chuckled. "I'm certain I wanna be a Pokémon Master but… Honestly, I've got less of an idea of who I am now more than ever!"

"Really?" Mallow asked.

"Yeah. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, you know? We're still growing up, aren't we? We're still becoming who we're meant to be," Ash explained.

"Ash…" Mallow breathed his name for the third time.

"Was this why you were quieter than usual yesterday?"

"You noticed that?" Mallow asked amazedly.

"I did," Ash said, nodding.

The silence returned between them, during which only the sounds of some distant Hoothoot and the rustling leaves were audible. Having not heard anything from her in a good minute, Ash turned to look at Mallow; her eyes were watering, and he had to react with the reflexes of a Ninjask when Mallow threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, nestling her head in his shoulder.

"Y-You're amazing, Ash," Mallow whispered, hugging him tighter.

Ash was momentarily stunned. His mind darted all over the place as he vainly attempted to pinpoint where the hug had come from. Was she thankful to him for talking with her? Was she still upset? Unable to determine any definite answer, Ash wrapped his arms around Mallow, hugging her back.

The hug felt intimate, warm, soothing. It lasted for a few minutes, a lot longer than any hug he had previously shared. That's when something impossible jumped into his mind, a thought that made him conflicted, a leap to conclusions that soared even higher than a High Jump Kick: did Mallow _like_ him?

Mentally shaking his head, Ash dismissed the thought. He wasn't as dense as he used to be, but he wasn't delusional either. This had all happened before. With Serena. He loved her, and he had thought something was there between them, something special. She had even kissed him, a clear indication of that something more. But then, when he had asked her, she said it was nothing but a kiss goodbye. He had been wrong. Mallow's hug right now felt similar to that, but Ash knew she couldn't have a crush on him. It wasn't possible. He was just jumping to conclusions. Just like last time.

Ash kept his arms around her, enjoying the hug anyway.

* * *

Serena pulled her bag over her shoulder, brushing her hair aside as she turned to face Delia, who stood alongside her in Viridian Airport.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you for a few days," Serena said, bowing to Delia.

"It's no problem, Serena. Was everything ok?" Delia asked.

"Yes, it was perfect. I'm glad I could see Bonnie again, too, and getting to know you and Red… It made me feel like I was a part of your family, if only for a little while… You've done a lot for me, Mrs Ketchum. Thank you," Serena said, bowing once again.

"Please, call me Delia, Serena. How many times must I say?" Delia said gently; Serena laughed lightly in response. "I'm glad you're doing better."

"I… I am. A lot of it has to do with Ash being alive, and I'm still a little bit worried, but I feel like I can finally take a step forward."

"Is that why you decided to go back home now?" Delia asked.

"Yes," Serena confirmed.

"You don't want to stay to watch Professor Oak's trial?"

Serena shook her head. It was a difficult decision to make due to the prospect of seeing Ash again, but she was resolute. "I do want to see what happens, what is revealed, but… I want to see Ash in person rather than over a screen, in a courtroom. Red asked me to do this job for him, so I feel I have to do it, no matter how much I want to see Ash."

"I see. I wish you the best of luck, Serena. When you finally see Ash again, make sure you tell him the truth, ok? We'll let him know about the hypnosis situation after Professor Oak's trial, so the rest is up to you," Delia said.

"I'll do my best!" Serena said cheerily.

"Dragonite Airlines departure to Kalos, flight number 831, now boarding at Gate 6," a voice announced over the loudspeakers.

"That's my flight," Serena said, double-checking her ticket. She lifted her head, tipped her hat back, and flashed Delia the biggest smile she could. "I'm off!"

"I'll see you soon, Serena," Delia said, waving as she departed.

Serena waved back until she turned the corner and was out of sight. She spun around as if performing a dance move and walked towards the gate with conviction. She wanted to see Ash. She desperately wanted to see Ash. But she had to do this. She had to find Greninja and Goodra and deliver them to Ash. Some iota of the plan made it seem like an offering, that she was taking them with her to gain Ash's trust back, but Serena saw it another way. Ash had had all of his friends and Pokémon abandon him, so he needed as many friends as he could get. She wanted to be the one to bring them back to him. She wanted to be the one to save Ash.


	30. Chapter 29: Litten's Trial

Chapter 29:

Litten's Trial

"Alright, Ash, here's your challenge," Lana said, stopping between the pillars designating Brooklet Hill as a trial sight.

Ash gave Lana most of his attention; the last sliver of his concentration was occupied rehearsing and contemplating his plan to help Litten. It was early in the afternoon, and, finally, Ash was attempting Lana's Trial. Although, given his plan, 'attempt' wasn't the right word. 'Lesson' was more accurate.

"Beyond here are three lakes. Your goal is to reach the large lake at the bottom of Brooklet Hill. Along the way, you will see the water rippling in different areas. You can find two species of Pokémon within those ripples, but your job is to herd only one species into the last lake. Eight in total, four per lake. Do you understand?"

"So, look for one species of Pokémon, and leave the other be?" Ash ponderously repeated. "Got it."

"You may use two Pokémon during your challenge, and you'll be assisted by a Lapras to travel on the water," Lana explained.

"Got it," Ash repeated, stretching.

"I'll go around the pathways and meet you at the end. You can begin when you see a Water Gun being shot into the air. Good luck!" Lana said. She jogged between the pillars, quickly disappearing from view.

While waiting for the signal, Ash fiddled with the buoyancy aid Lana had provided him, tweaking the straps, and rolling his shoulders until it was snug, movements he enacted automatically while thinking about the trial. It was a different feeling entirely to the previous Trial and Grand Trial. Ash was antsy this time because of the background hardships that had sprung up, as they always did throughout his journey. But his feelings were focused towards Litten rather than the trial itself because of his plan. It was hazardous. It could backfire as easily as succeed.

A jet of water shot into the air a minute later and the trial began. Ash jogged down the path, Rockruff at his side, Litten lagging. At the bottom of the gulley, Ash stopped to scope out the area.

From what he could see, the site was sectioned into three layers. Upon each layer rested a sparkling lake, each varying in size, gleaming like mirrors to the sunlight. The network of lakes was interconnected by streams of rushing, frothy water lined by slick black rocks. A cluster of weathered, craggy tidepools the size of meteorite craters was stacked in front of him above the lakes, little influx waterfalls leaking one into another, and on the right was the forest, greener here and doused with droplets of water that made the leaves shimmer and droop. On the other side of the lake was a fenced pathway.

On the lake before him, a little wooden-plank boardwalk stretched out, alongside which floated a Lapras with a tall, red plastic seat that looked like an umpire's perch strapped to its cobbly shell. Ash jogged over, brushed his hand over Lapras' head affectionately, and climbed into the seat – Rockruff and Litten jumped onto Lapras' back. Ash grabbed the handles and guided Lapras onto the water.

It was easy to spot the first section of rippling water. As Ash approached it, a tiny fish Pokémon leapt out, it's upper body and fin royal blue, its underbelly and lower fins white. It had a sad expression on its face, and a pair of watery, wavering blue eyes shaped like four-leaf clovers.

"Wishiwashi, the Small Fry Pokémon. A Water-Type. When in a tough spot, their eyes tear up, which gives it the look of crying-zzt," Rotom explained, who was hovering above the water beside Ash's head.

"Thanks, Rotom! Rockruff, Thunder Fang," Ash commanded, deciding that, since he saw it first, he would herd the Wishiwashi. Weakening it was the first step.

Rockruff leapt from Lapras' back. He caught the Wishiwashi in Thunder Fang, holding it until he had to disengage when he splashed into the water; Rockruff contentedly doggy-paddled back to Lapras. The Wishiwashi lay still on the surface of the water. Ash wondered if Rockruff had finished it in one hit, but there was no way it was that easy. This was a trial, after all.

Wishiwashi's eyes snapped open. It ducked back into the water and scurried away downstream to the lower lake, a trail of splashing behind it.

_It really was that was easy,_ Ash thought in disbelief, setting off for the next rippling patch. This time, it was a Pokémon he had seen before on Treasure Island: Dewpider, a six-green-legged aquatic, four of which clung to a bubble protecting its black head. Since he decided to focus on herding Wishiwashi, Ash guided Lapras away to the next pool.

"Litten, keep the Dewpider off us with Scratch," Ash commanded as Dewpider advanced on them with what appeared to be Bug Bite. While half-hearted, Litten was able to bat away the Dewpider's attacks.

It took four more rippling pools until Ash found and herded all four Wishiwashi, each immobilised with a single measly hit from Thunder Fang. In the meantime, Litten fought back the attacking Dewpider from the few wrong pools. Unfortunately, Litten's lethargic movements caused him to take unnecessary damage. If this were a normal challenge, Ash would comment on it, berate it, but it wasn't a normal challenge. That was something that needed to happen.

The first lake complete, Ash guided Lapras to the interconnecting stream and found it invited his excitement a lot more up close than from afar. It was a natural waterslide; it was a slim stream, meandering a couple of times, with sharp rocks protruding through the current and white-water rapids ruthlessly crashing together.

Fearlessly, Ash guided Lapras down the stream, lifting himself from his seat a little bit. As soon as they hit the rapids, Lapras was thrust forward by the downwards current. Ash quickly twisted his wrists, prompting Lapras to drift sideways, avoiding a mossy rock. Lapras brushed up alongside the overgrowth lining the river, then Ash guided her back in. He twisted right, left, avoiding rocks hurdling towards him, even catching some airtime when the river dropped quickly. It was exhilarating: the water flicking into his face like pellets; the wind blowing his hat-free hair; the thumping of his heart as he bounced down the water.

When he skidded to a stop in the next lake, Lapras' fins cutting through and splashing a slice of water across the calm surface, Ash had to take a moment to breathe, to compose himself.

Following his tussle with the rapids, searching for, and herding the remaining four Wishiwashi was an underwhelming endeavour. All it took were several Thunder Fangs to dispose of them, and he was on his way to the second stream of unnatural rapids. Again, Ash noticed that Litten sustained too many hits when blocking the Dewpider's attacks, some of which were Super-Effective this time.

Skidding and veering left and right a couple more times, Ash descended into the final lake. It was the largest lake yet. It had a view of the ocean over a wall of stone, and a large waterfall gushed from the largest tidepool, beneath which seemed to be a cave. There was a beach behind him – on which stood Lana, arms folded, smirking – and several large, level rocks dotted around the water. Ash immediately realised they could be used as footholds. But he wasn't going to implement that tactic. That wasn't his current goal.

Ash floated aimlessly around on Lapras, waiting cautiously because Lana had neglected to give him instructions upon reaching the final lake. Then he heard it: a rumbling sound of bubbling water. He looked down, noticing numerous quick bursts like aqua jets soaring past Lapras beneath the surface. They moved on all sides and congregated in front of the large cave.

Ash watched as a black shadow formed beneath the surface, growing and spreading like ink dropped in water. Whatever it was then moved: a large ripple spread over the water, lifting Lapras, repositioning him a fair distance backwards. From the foot of the waterfall, a giant head appeared, then the body, like a submarine emerging. It was gargantuan: its body was various colours of blue and looked almost like jelly; its mouth was as large as a small Wailord's; its white eyes were larger than the Wishiwashi he had seen earlier; and it was oddly shaped, too, as if cobbled together. When it completely emerged, its underbelly slapped the water, creating a small tidal wave that collapsed on top of them all. It was almost definitely the Totem Pokémon.

"Rockruff, Rock Throw!" Ash called, shaking his head like a shaggy dog, as both Rockruff and Litten did. "Litten, use Lapras' head to jump, then use Scratch!"

Litten set off on command, but he remained laboured. The jump from Lapras' head didn't give him enough force to reach Wishiwashi. As Rockruff's Rock Throw flew around him like spears, striking the Totem, Litten plummeted towards the water. Before Litten hit it, though, an Alomomola leapt through the water and struck him head-on with Double Slap, hitting him back onto Lapras.

_That must be the Totem's ally like the Yungoos from last time, _Ash thought. He turned his focus on the Totem again just as the last of Rockruff's Rock Throw landed. A few Wishiwashi tumbled out from the body, leaving a little hole.

"So, they're all Wishiwashi?" Ash asked aloud, veering Lapras in a circle to avoid a charge by Alomomola. He glanced up at the Totem, whose mouth was opening; he could see something charging deep in the shadowed blackness.

"Indeed-zzt! This is Wishiwashi's Schooling Ability, which allows multiple to merge," Rotom explained.

"Alright, Rockruff, get in close and use Thunder Fang! Litten, Ember consecutively! It'll knock some out of formation!"

Rockruff barked and darted in fast as a Quick Attack. He landed on the Totem's head and clamped his teeth down on the giant fin of its upper body. Just as he did, that yellow aura Ash had seen on Totem Gumshoos appeared. The electricity encased the Totem's whole body, yet a disappointingly small number of Wishiwashi dropped off. Ash surmised his defence had been buffed. Otherwise, Thunder Fang would have been more effective.

Meanwhile, Litten moved like a Slakoth, firing Embers randomly at the body, which only knocked off a couple of Wishiwashi. When Ash returned his focus to Litten, he saw the Alomomola darting in from behind.

"Litten, Scratch behind you!" Ash called out, but Litten didn't react fast enough. The Alomomola got to him first, using Double-Slap to knock Litten into the air. A bark from Rockruff alerted Ash to how dangerous that was. When he turned to look at Rockruff, he saw a big ball of water pooling behind Washiwashi's jelly-like teeth. All Ash could do was swish Lapras' saddle and guide him out of the firing line. A huge move that could either be Water Gun or Hydro Pump ripped through the air to the wall fronting the sea like a torpedo, submerging Litten inside of it.

When the impossibly large attack died down, Litten was crushed against the newly chipped rockface on the other side of the lake, unconscious. With the scale of that attack and the previous ones he had needlessly endured, Ash knew it was inevitable. He turned back to Rockruff as he jumped over an attack by Alomomola.

"Rockruff, follow it with Rock Throw!" Ash commanded. Rockruff's spiral of rocks hit the pink Water-Type, causing its re-entry in the water to be like a skimming stone, but then it came back faster, flying in with a prepped Double Slap. "Thunder Fang!"

Rockruff slid beneath the first slap, endured the second, then retaliated with his move, sending Alomomola sprawling onto Lapras' back, twitching. It looked paralysed, so Ash acted on it. A quick combo of Bite and Thunder Fang knocked out the ally Alomomola. However, since he had focused on Alomomola, they had neglected the Totem, and Ash wasn't overly surprised when a blast of water with the force of a Hyper Beam drenched them.

From then, Ash knew he was sending Rockruff into a losing battle. Rockruff was alone. He told him to use Thunder Fang several times, but the Totem's body was too sturdy and the Wishiwashi kept reattaching. Despite being so lethargic and having to charge its moves, it took only a few large attacks hitting Rockruff.

Rockruff fainted. Ash lost.

* * *

The slow walk back to the Poké-Center following his Trial attempt was incredibly stiff and silent. Tense, even; Lana hadn't said anything afterwards. She looked rather astonished. Ash presumed that reaction was because she had believed he couldn't lose.

Unlike the instances where he had lost in the past, before Kalos, Ash wasn't downtrodden. He walked through the route with his head raised. Truthfully, the fact he lost wasn't on his mind at all. The only thing occupying his thoughts was whether the reaction to the loss would be as he wanted it to be.

By the time they reached Heahea City, Lana's silence became slightly trying. Ash sighed, glancing at her. "Lana, you can talk, you know. Failing the trial isn't that huge."

"Oh…" Lana muttered. "I just… held your skill in such high regard. I feel kind of shocked… That's not to say I think less of your skills but…"

"Well, it happens, especially when you're at such a severe type disadvantage," Ash answered. That was only half of the truth. "I've lost before, you know. You can't win 'em all!"

"I figured, but… Are you ok?"

"Yeah, of course, I am."

"But you just lost…"

"Did I, though?" Ash answered, being purposefully cryptic. Lana looked at him confusedly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah, nothing," Ash said, deciding not to disclose his plan yet. He started to walk again; Lana scurried to his side. "Anyway, enough about that for now, please?"

"Uh… Sure… Then, what did you think of my trial?" she asked.

"Honestly, the Lapras riding was an incredible addition! It was really fun, especially on the rapids between each lake. The idea of the Wishiwashi coming together as the Totem was awesome too!"

"I'm glad you think so," Lana said ponderously. "See, the complication I had was that there are two Totem Pokémon. The other is an Araquanid, the evolution of Dewpider. If you chose to herd the Dewpider, the Araquanid would've appeared instead."

"I see…"

"Anything bad you noticed? Any tips to change it?" Lana asked, sounding a lot more hesitant this time. That was only natural when asking for criticism, Ash thought.

"Hmm… I wouldn't say bad, but the herding of the Pokémon was a little slow compared to riding down the streams. What if you herded both? If you had to battle more Pokémon, that would up the pace, right?" Ash suggested.

"Hmm," Lana muttered, seemingly pondering his query for a moment. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I could have the trial-goer herd one group in the top lake and one in the bottom. The Totem appears in the bottom, and the other group could attack from behind. I could have the Wishiwashi and Dewpider attack not only them but each other too. That way, they have to fight more, keeping it action-packed, and they have to forcefully separate the two pairs… Good suggestion, Ash. Thanks."

"No problem! You're a lot more reserved than you seem with all your jokes, aren't you?"

"I suppose you could say that… Why?"

"Just an observation," Ash said, grinning. "I can't wait for the rematch!"

"Rematch? So soon?" Lana asked looking nonplussed.

"Yeah. In two days. We'll be a whole different team," Ash answered as they entered the Poké-Center.

"Ash did you—" Lana began, and Ash could guess what she was going to ask, but she didn't get to because their friends suddenly shouted out loud in the lobby, appearing from behind chairs and tables. They began to congratulate Ash on his assumed victory, something that made him feel slightly awkward. It was not unknown to him that they all rated him highly as Lana had – especially Kiawe. That, then, was another benefit of his plan; Kiawe would finally learn he was human, that he could lose too.

It was the not-at-all-subtle, frantic arm waving from Lana and the bobble-head esque shaking of her head that made them realise the situation. An awkward silence ensued. His friends wore a blend of thoroughly ashamed, abashed, and shock on their face. They began apologising, but Ash simply smiled.

"It's alright, guys. Just remember I can lose too," Ash said as his parting word. He headed to his room after that; he swore he saw Kiawe crying, but it may have been an illusory image. Ash didn't want to seem ignorant upon losing as he may have done, but he had to check something. This was the risk he had taken, a part of his plan. It all depended on how volatile Litten's emotions were.

Ash closed the door to his room gently, then turned to the vacant space of carpet at the foot of his and Lillie's beds. He let out Rockruff and Litten, and they both appeared bearing expressions exactly as Ash had anticipated: Rockruff was scowling, tapping his paw restlessly, and Litten's head was bowed, disheartened, regretful. Ash drew in a deep breath and settled on his bed. This was the moment he would find out if his plan worked.

"How do you feel, Rockruff?" Ash asked first.

Ash's eardrums were assaulted with such loud barking he wished he wore earmuffs. He heard what Rockruff said, though, in amongst the barks that were only noises born of anger and frustration, and maybe a few Pokémon cuss words. And that was exactly how Rockruff was feeling: frustrated, angry. Predictably, naturally, and somewhat rightfully, some of it was directed towards Litten's half-hearted mannerisms. He said he was frustrated they had lost; he said he wanted to get revenge on the Totem; he said he wanted to get stronger and challenge the trial again. He said he was disappointed in Litten. Ash nodded only once, turning his eyes to Litten.

"How do you feel, Litten?"

Litten hesitated at first, that same childlike pause he had performed when Ash had originally examined his wellbeing. When Litten spoke, he blamed himself for the loss. This time, Ash didn't attempt to console him only to abate his tempestuous emotions. This time, it was true. He simply let Litten speak because he was looking for something, one sentence that would determine his success or failure.

Litten reiterated the same quotes: he said he wasn't good enough, that he wasn't strong enough. Ash found it hard to listen to. That was likely how he had sounded the day after his ordeal. But that all changed when Litten raised a new point. Rather than continue chastising himself, Litten said he was disappointed in his performance, that he was annoyed he had caused them to lose. He claimed it was because of how bad he was, but Ash didn't focus on the self-depreciation. That was important, though, if everything went to plan, he wouldn't have those thoughts for too much longer. Litten then apologised to Rockruff. And _that_ was what Ash had been hoping for with his reckless move.

In response to his Pokémon's feelings, Ash said one word before returning them and uttering not a word more on the subject for the rest of the day.

"Good."

* * *

The next evening, after a day of explaining the trial attempt to his friends, reassuring them that he was ok – especially Mallow, who he noticed had been consoling Hau when he passed through the lobby – Ash stealthily exited the Poké-Center deep into the darkness, heading to the one place he had been recommended to but hadn't yet visited. The Battle Royal Dome.

Royal Avenue, on which stood the Battle Royal Dome, was still moderately busy even so late into the evening. It was a beautiful outdoor arcade: shops and stalls manned by various employees were dotted around in the fashion of an amusement park; there was an immaculately paved square brimming with a plethora of colourful flora with a small fountain off to the side, around which people and their Pokémon chatted and congested, some resting on benches. Situated at the base of the island's volcano park, it was all backdropped by the spire of the volcano, three faint plumes of steam rising from the open shoots into the night sky.

Ash wasn't there to admire the sights. He headed for the Battle Royal Dome itself, a large black steel stadium fronted with multi-coloured, fluorescent windows, glowing and flashing like disco lights in the night. The walkway to the doors was a bridge over a rectangular lake and decorated with flag poles, neon white searchlights tilted skyward, flowerbeds, and small trees, and a large Pokéball statue in the centre.

Before venturing inside, Ash found a secluded section on one of the flower bed walls and pulled out Litten's Pokéball. Aside from Pikachu, Ash had only two Pokémon with him: Litten and Infernape. It was also a part of his plan. The demonstration.

Ash let out Litten onto the wall and crouched, looking him in the eye, a gesture Litten struggled to meet.

"Alright Litten," Ash said, much more stern than usual. He took out Infernape's Pokéball and let him out, garnering a fair amount of attention from passers-by, likely due to his foreignness. Ash paid no attention to them. "I know you're having a tough time at the moment. Being abandoned and feeling worthless are two terrible experiences. I know because I've experienced them too; Pikachu has experienced them and… Infernape has, too. We all know how you feel after Rowlet knocked you out. And it's ok to feel that way. But you can't keep that mindset.

"Yesterday when you lost and were the cause, you said something different. You said you were annoyed with yourself, that you regret causing the team to lose. You acknowledged your mistake. To me, that means you want to keep fighting. You want to fight well. You want it desperately. The only thing that's holding you back is your self-doubt, that feeling of worthlessness because you failed once. Pikachu has lost loads of times. All of my Pokémon have." Litten looked like he was going to speak up, so Ash lifted his hand, silencing the words before they touched his lips. "But you feel your situation is different, don't you? 'An abandoned Pokémon was abandoned for a reason'. By that, did you mean because they were too weak?"

Litten slowly nodded.

"Well, let me tell you a story," Ash said. He reached over and patted Infernape's shoulder. "Originally, Infernape was another trainer's Pokémon. At the time, that trainer wasn't a nice person. Just because Infernape, as a Chimchar – his first evolution – lost a battle, he decided to release him, to abandon him."

Ash immediately saw Litten's eyes go wide. Presumedly, he made the same link Ash had.

"That's right," Ash said. "I don't know what happened with you, but it's similar, right? Infernape's original trainer thought he was weak, so he released him. You know what I did? The moment he released him, I approached Chimchar and asked him to join me. He's a Pokémon who thought he was worthless when he was abandoned too. That's Infernape's story. You can say you're weak all you want, that you're worthless, but at the end of the day, none of it's true. Maybe you're not as strong as you want to be, but it takes time," Ash said, then trailed off.

Litten, looking bewildered, shared a glance with Infernape, who nodded, flashing his infectious grin. When Litten looked back at Ash, he nodded too.

"Why am I telling you this? Well, because he _used_ to be like you. He's not like that anymore. I'm going to fight a Battle Royal match with Infernape right now. Just watch. Just watch, and I hope you'll learn something," Ash said. He returned Infernape and marched through the doors, knowing Litten and Pikachu were following.

The reception was marble white inside, full of bustling bodies and blaring voices. Above the check-in desk was a large flat-screen television broadcasting the current Battle Royal in progress.

On the screen was a large boxing ring, the four corners coloured red, blue, yellow, and green. Outside the ring were large Pokémon heads with the entryways to each corner of the ring paved through their open mouths. Charizard was the entryway for the red corner, Gyarados for the blue, Haxorus for the yellow, and Tyranitar for the green corner. In the ring, a Machamp, a Golem that looked to be an Alolan variant, a Turtonator, and an Umbreon were battling. It looked like the Umbreon was winning, but Ash took his eyes off when he reached the front of the queue. He asked if he could battle and was put in for the next fight after filling out a form. They instructed him to follow the red pathway to his right.

The battle before his ended in victory for the Umbreon and its trainer – Ash watched the rest from the entryway. It seemed the trainer was also in the red corner; he exited the stage immediately after his victory through the Charizard's mouth.

He was a tall boy, Ash noticed, probably a few years older than he was. He wore a grey hooded shirt with a large red cut across it, a black undershirt and black joggers – both ripped in sections – red shoes, and a belt with a pouch around his waist. It almost looked like a unique variation of a Team Skull uniform. What caught Ash's eye about the boy was his hair and eyes: light blonde hair all swept over the right side of his face, the left more shaved and detailed with a ripped design like his clothes, unveiling two stud earrings in his upper ear, and emerald eyes. It was a colour combination he had seen before. The same as Lillie.

"Nice battling," Ash said as he and his Umbreon walked past, his movements smooth and calm. The boy acknowledged Ash with a deep frown, almost a scowl.

"Hmph," the boy grunted, folded his arms, and leaned against the wall opposite Ash. He scanned Ash up and down, then Pikachu and Litten. "They weren't a challenge. I need tougher opponents. Are you going out there with a Pikachu and first evolution Litten? Dubious choices if you want to fight seriously."

If not for the offence he took from that statement, and the likelihood of it worsening Litten's mood, Ash would've laughed in the boy's face, as rude as it would have been. Ash didn't know if he were being pointedly obnoxious or if he honestly believed only evolved Pokémon could be strong.

"Nope. I'm going with this guy," Ash said calmly, sending out Infernape, who's eyes were as angered as during his blaze when it was feral. Evidently, he had heard what the boy said. Immediately, the boy's eyes went wide. He scanned Infernape, from his feet to his fiery mane, his interest clearly piqued. Ash heard the call for the next battlers and began down the walkway. He looked over his shoulder.

"Just a heads up. Maybe don't make assumptions like that. Any Pokémon can be strong. You have no idea how strong my Pokémon could be."

The packed stadium rumbled with cheering as the four battlers entered the ring and the announcer began his overly enthused raving about the contestants. Ash easily ignored most of it, choosing to scan his opponents instead. He did, however, pick out the key information he needed from the speech, foolhardy comments on the announcer's part that alerted him to the names and types of his opponents, all of whom were eying Infernape with fierce looks akin to malevolence. There was quite clearly a target on him. It was all bravado meant to intimidate; Ash knew what the stare of true hatred and bloodlust looked like.

The opponent in the green corner had a levitating blue Pokémon with a saw-like jaw and glassy, semi-circled wings. The announcer said it was named Vikavolt, a Bug and Electric Type. In the yellow corner was a sandcastle Pokémon: Palossand, a Ghost-Ground Type, Ash overheard. The final opponent in the blue corner was a Snorlax. When explaining the Pokémon, the announcer stalled on Infernape, having to check the sheet Ash had signed upon entry to figure out its name. Yet another consequence of Alola being so far estranged from society.

"Today we have for you a four-way single battle! The style of this match is Last Pokémon Standing! Battlers are you ready?!" the man yelled, and Ash automatically nodded, sharing a grin with Infernape. "Aaand… fight!"

"Snorlax, Heavy Slam!"

"Palossand, Shadow Ball!"

"Vikavolt, Spark!"

Predictably, they all attacked the unknown threat.

"Infernape, Flame Wheel into the ropes and rebound into Vikavolt!" Ash commanded, feeling a rush of nostalgia at signalling to use Flame Wheel. As instructed, Infernape gyrated into a flaming ball and rapidly rolled into the ropes. They stretched a fair distance before catapulting Infernape through the Shadow Ball and into Vikavolt, overcoming the Spark with ease. "Land and use Close Combat above you!"

The flames dispersed when Infernape's large feet slapped the floor of the ring, his fists – pulled tight to his sides – charging red as the shadow of Snorlax's large frame fell upon him. The Heavy Slam came to an abrupt halt in mid-air when Infernape, fists a blur, pummelled against it, his hips squared and low. For a moment it seemed like Snorlax was levitating as the two forces collided, an almost impossible scene given its size. After the final punch, Infernape was able to cancel out Heavy Slam completely and send Snorlax crashing against the ropes.

"Vikavolt, Bite on Palossand!"

"Infernape, intercept it with a Mach Punch hammer fist to the side!" Ash called. Infernape rather violently spun his body in a circle, lashing his right arm out behind his body. The strike caught the speedy Bug Type in the jaw, shattering the prepared Bite, redirecting it spinning into the ropes. "Flame Wheel to follow up!" Once more, Infernape clattered into Vikavolt in a flaming ball and bounced across the ring. It looked to Ash as if Vikavolt was nearly unconscious already, which was a slight let-down.

Ash turned his attention to the scuffling Snorlax and Palossand, the former enduring the latter's Sand Tomb with Defence Curl. "Flame Wheel to separate them!" Infernape dived in, knocking both clashing parties into their respective ropes, eliminating the spiralling sand in the process.

"Shadow Ball, Palossand!"

"Thunder Punch!" Ash commanded, and Infernape punched straight through the Shadow Ball as if it were a mass of air.

Snorlax approached from behind with a body slam.

"Duck and roll to the left!" Infernape did, bouncing onto his feet seconds later, fists raised. The crash of Snorlax hitting the canvas with Body Slam made the whole ring shake.

Ash had no time to think because Vikavolt was charging at Infernape with Spark again. Ash merely shouted to dodge. Infernape performed a sequence of impressively fast, flexible movements: he jumped, flicked his shoulders left and right, weaved his body side-to-side, and ended with a back handspring.

"Lean back!" Ash called. Infernape lent back as if preparing to shuffle under a limbo bar. "Grab it and throw it into Snorlax!" Vikavolt passed over Infernape, whose arm became a bolt of lightning to grab his jaw. Infernape quickly spun and threw Vikavolt into Snorlax's round chest. "Flame Wheel off the ropes into Palossand!"

The ring looked like a pinball machine as Infernape rapidly ricocheted around it, hitting Palossand repeatedly until it seemed to be about to faint. To prevent that, their trainer enacted an Iron Defence. But, Infernape let loose one more Flame Wheel that eliminated Palossand from the battle despite the heightened defence.

Meanwhile, Ash saw the Snorlax was being worn down by the barely-holding-on Vikavolt, who was still fast enough to bounce off his body with Spark and avoid counters in the way Infernape used Flame Wheel on Palossand.

"Alright Infernape, finish it with Close Combat!" Ash called out.

Infernape ran into the other ongoing battle. All it took was two hits for Vikavolt to go down: a straight jab to counter a Spark and an invisible hook to the body that knocked it out of the ring. Snorlax's sturdy frame lasted a while longer. Infernape ducked in and out like a boxer as he delivered jab after jab, avoiding Snorlax's laboured lunges of Body Slam and, surprisingly, Hammer Arm until he fell back and hit the canvas, knocked out of the fight.

The bell was rung, signalling the end of the fleeting, one-sided match. Ash stood up straight and lifted a hand for Infernape to high-five. Their moment was succeeded by uproar from the crowd, loud enough to shatter a whole glass building. Slinging an arm around Infernape's shoulders, Ash tuned it out and coolly left the ring with not a word to the announcer who begged him for one. He left mysteriously, which only seemed to heighten the emotions permeating the stadium.

When Ash returned to the tunnel, he was satisfied for three reasons. Firstly, most importantly, Litten looked different. The gloomy shadows in his eyes had vanished. The sparkle was revived in them: he looked widely at Infernape as if he were royalty. As if he were Arceus. As if he were his mentor. Secondly, he'd finally found something for his older Pokémon to partake in while on the side-lines. And finally, the look on the blonde-haired boy's face, who seemed to have watched, was priceless. But Ash ignored that. He crouched down to Litten's height.

"What did you think, Litten? You may feel worthless for being abandoned, but you're not. What you just saw? _That_ was the performance of an abandoned Pokémon. You can become like that too. You can be that strong," Ash said.

With that, Ash contentedly left the stadium because he knew it had worked. His plan to not only teach his Pokémon but to heal Litten had worked.


	31. Chapter 30: Lana's Trial

Chapter 30:

Lana's Trial

The next morning, Ash awoke to a relentlessly meowing Litten softly pawing at his face, a honed eagerness shining in his eyes. Despite his grogginess, Ash sat right up, admiring Litten rather pridefully. Knowing that his reckless plan had saved Litten from drowning in his thoughts and witnessing the resulting reignition of his burning resolve gave Ash a blissful feeling of relief and, oddly, triumph. _He_ had saved him.

Spurred by Litten, Ash leapt out of bed and hurriedly prepared for the day and, hopefully, their re-match.

They probably annoyed Lana to the last thread of her patience that morning – they had banged on her and Mallow's door until she opened it with a bedhead and a scowl that could kill, Mallow behind her, flustered – but Ash desired to request a rematch as soon as possible. For real this time, with no background predicaments holding them back, no ulterior motives. Just a true, good challenge of skill and tactics.

"Ash," Kiawe announced from beside the stairs when Ash descended to the foyer.

"Waiting to ambush me?" Ash amiably joked.

"Hah!" Kiawe chuckled deeply. "No, no, just waiting. I heard you mention your trial rematch earlier."

"Really?"

"Yes, you made quite a racket. You probably roused the whole floor."

"Oops…" Ash muttered, glancing upwards awkwardly, guiltily.

"If you don't mind, I would like to watch your trial," Kiawe said, folding his arms stiffly.

"Sure, I don't mind; you'll have to ask Lana. But don't you have to work at your own trial?"

"Not today. I'm currently waiting for that unique request I posed to Kahuna Olivia to be completed. I am to wait a day or so," Kiawe explained. "In that case, I'll come with you. Are you heading to the trial site now?"

"Oh, you're heading to your rematch?" Clemont's voice asked from the stairs. Looking dishevelled with his bedhead, he stumbled down the steps beside the conversing pair carrying in his arms his backpack stuffed with tinkering tools and metal contraptions Ash couldn't name. "Good luck, Ash. I know you'll win."

"Do you want to join me in watching?" Kiawe asked.

"It's alright, thanks though. I'm almost done with my invention. I want to complete it as soon as I can," Clemont answered.

"Thanks, Clemont," Ash said, nodding appreciatively.

Nodding back, Clemont headed for the door just as Lillie, mid-yawn, tenderly rubbing the underneath of her eyes, joined them.

"Morning, Lillie!" Ash cheerfully greeted. Lillie flinched; she quickly covered her mouth with her hand and smoothed her hair, her cheeks flushing pink.

"G-Good morning, Ash. Y-You startled me," Lillie said. She turned to Kiawe. "Good morning, Kiawe."

"Good morning, Lillie," Kiawe greeted. "Now, Ash, are we heading to the trial site?"

"You're having your rematch today?" Lillie asked.

"Yep! Kiawe's coming to watch. You wanna join?"

"Oh… Y-yes, I don't mind. I have to visit somebody at the lab again today, but I'll come over afterwards," Lillie said.

"You've been going there a lot, huh? You must be meeting someone close to you," Ash said absently.

"O-Oh… Yes…" Lillie said, looking to her feet. "I-I'm waiting for some news…" Realising he shouldn't push the subject due to her hesitance to explain – which seemed to be an oddly recurring theme with Lillie – Ash turned to Kiawe.

"We've gotta have breakfast first, but we'll head over later!" Ash said, dashing for the dining area. That morning, Ash devoured half a tray of croissants as his share, and Clemont's abandoned share, too. He needed all the fuel he could get to tame his excitement.

At mid-day, after waiting outside of the lab Lillie had entered for about fifteen minutes, who explained that she had to return the next day for some set of results, Ash returned to the pillars of Brooklet Hill. This time, a little audience consisting of Brock, Dawn, and Kiawe – and now Lillie – was gathered on the heated sand.

Spotting Ash's approach, Lana shooed the group through the pillars – they all shouted encouragement his way during their hasty departure – and then gestured him over.

"Ok," Lana said, placing her hands on her waist, "as we talked about, I changed my challenge a little bit yesterday. This time you have to herd both sets of Pokémon, one set in the top lake, the other in the bottom. Hopefully, that'll make it a bit more challenging. You may now use three Pokémon. Other than that, everything's the same."

"I'm good," Ash said, flourishing Rockruff and Litten's Pokéballs. They jumped out eagerly, of their own accord, every aspect of their stances and countenances depicting steadfast preparation.

"Really?"

"You originally decided a challenger should be able to complete it with two Pokémon, right? So that's what I'm gonna do."

"That's so like you, Ash," Lana said fondly. "You ready?"

Litten answered for Ash in a series of yells made cacophonous when Rockruff joined in. Since Lana could only interpret the meaning of their noises, Ash nodded to Lana for confirmation.

"Once again, wait for my signal," Lana said. She strode off through the pillars, and Ash readied himself. He could feel the others stood beside him exuding the same eager aura. They were ready.

The stream of lapis water shot straight up, forming a fleeting rainbow in the cloudless sky. Neither Ash nor his Pokémon waited until it began to descend as faux rain; they sprinted down the gulley at thrice the speed they had previously. This time, Litten wasn't lagging.

Ash found Lapras in the same place as before. He leapt easily onto the seat, brushing his hand smoothly over Lapras' head. Litten and Rockruff jumped on his back, poised on the knobs of its shell, and they were off.

Ash found the first ripple with equal ease to his first attempt. This time, both a Wishiwashi and a Dewpider sprung out of the water, one on either side. They both fired a Water Gun at one another, towards Ash and Lapras situated in the crossfire.

"Rockruff, block one with Rock Throw! Litten jump up and use Ember on Dewpider while it's above the surface!"

They were a perfect double-battle duo, concurrently enacting their orders with flawless timing. Rockruff jumped and spawned the rocks on his tail whilst Litten, fleet-footed this time around, hopped across Lapras' shell to the side of a Water Gun. When Rockruff's spinning tail launched the rocks, which collided with one Water Gun, Litten spat a perfectly placed Ember onto Dewpider's head, popping its bubble and striking it in the face. Seeing as it was a Water-Bug Type, the move seemed to inflict decent damage. But the most important factor was that Litten's reaction time was impeccable. He was back.

The opening battle was a quick one. Both Wishiwashi and Dewpider ducked under the water after their first attacks. They hid for a few seconds then reappeared in a simultaneous pincer attack. Ash countered it with Thunder Fang – Rockruff knocked out Wishiwashi – and had Litten use Scratch on Dewpider. Following up with a rapid eruption of Embers, Dewpider was rendered immobile in the water.

Because he knew both Litten and Rockruff desired a re-match, Ash let Wishiwashi loose downstream and left Dewpider in the upper lake. He headed to the next ripple and found a similar conflict already in motion: three of a Dewpider's long, pin-like legs had a Wishiwashi trapped like a prize in a claw machine as it spat a stream of bubbles into its body.

The scene was similar at the rest of the rippling patches too. It was as if the Dewpider and Wishiwashi were at war and he was an interloper tasked with pacifying them. As Lana had supposed, it was a lot more action-packed this time. He was forced to instruct a constant flow of commands to his Pokémon to tranquilise and herd the Water Types; he had to avoid being hit by the herded, revived Dewpider taking pot-shots at him from behind; and he had to swish Lapras around to avoid any aimless moves. The multitasking kept him working and a grin etched on his face.

It took a few minutes to clear the first lake and head for the rapids. This time, neither Litten nor Rockruff had taken any serious damage, only little splashes of water or scrapes after landing awkwardly on Lapras' shell.

Entering the rapids was even more thrilling than before. Not only did Ash have the onerous task of evading the rocks through the spray obstructing his vision, but he had to remain wary of the Water Guns and Bubble Beams pursuing him. Thankfully, Rockruff and Litten lessened the load using their initiative. Rockruff blocked all of the Water Guns with a constant barrage of Rock Throws, and Litten popped the Bubble Beams as best he could with Ember. Adding Ash's navigational abilities, they weaved through the hindrances safely, skipping out the bottom like a rubber dinghy at the end of a waterslide.

This time, Ash didn't feel underwhelmed in the second lake. Rather, his concentration and stamina were immediately tested by the Wishiwashi and Dewpider barraging him. They didn't bother to wait for him to search the ripples. Groups of either species were clamped together, tussling with their moves above and below the water, splashing consequently like kids playing in a pool.

They dived right in, blocking moves and countering, breaking up the conflict as best they could. At times, Ash barely evaded a number of the wild attacks on Lapras, and Litten and Rockruff were hit by some. But none were fatal or worrisome; given their newfound determination, it was as if they had twice their usual health.

They were able to clear the second lake easily. Another war with the rapids later – this time, the attacks came from the Wishiwashi in the lake in front of him – and Ash settled in the final lake, panting, feeling inexorable exhaustion in his arms from vigorously tugging Lapras left and right so repeatedly.

However, his desired respite was ruthlessly denied by the whooshing sound of the congregating Wishiwashi darting beneath him. They already started pooling before Ash even fronted the waterfall – the shadow was about half-sized when he saw it. But Ash ignored the Totem, for now, deciding to ready himself.

"Litten, Rockruff, position yourselves on the rocks," Ash said, gesturing to the flat-top stones randomly interspersed in the lake. In afterthought, he added, "Be careful of the Alomomola."

Ash guided Lapras to a stop in an open section of the lake, Rockruff and Litten stood on rocks either side of him. The Totem appeared identically to the manner of his previous attempt, first its head, then its gargantuan body, slapping the water and dousing them in a tiny tidal wave. Simultaneously, Alomomola danced in and out of the water.

Finally poised in the water, the Totem Wishiwashi bellowed so loudly Ash could feel the very air vibrating. The sun almost immediately disappeared from the sky. Ash looked up as a ceiling of grey clouds speedily clustered over the battlefield. Heavy rain suddenly began pouring from them, plipping into the lake and dousing his hair.

Recognising Rain Dance and that Water-Type moves would only be more powerful in such conditions Ash enacted the first attack. He commanded both of his Pokémon forwards. They set off dashing, bounding between the rocks effortlessly, determinedly. Timing it to perfection, Ash had Rockruff roll beneath Alomomola's charge, leaping to the next rock by pushing from his hind paws in a kick-up.

"Guys, jump on top of the Totem!"

Diving in on either side, Litten and Rockruff trampolined from its fins to its body, onto its head. Ash commanded an onslaught of moves to follow; first, Rockruff trimmed some smaller Wishiwashi out of formation with Thunder Fang, then Litten scratched at more of them, carving into the Totem as if digging a hole; from what Ash could see, Litten was attacking simultaneously, meaning he had finally mastered Fury Swipes. However, that troublesome orange aura coated the Totem, clearly lessening the damage. Rockruff and Litten were tossed back to the rocks when the Totem shook its body.

In the next minute, Ash attempted to have Rockruff and Litten enclose upon the Totem again, yet was foiled numerous times by Alomomola batting his team back with Double Slap and the small, discarded Wishiwashi firing obstructive Water Guns that they had to dodge.

Wiping the rain from his eyes, Ash changed his tactic, deciding to target the Alomomola first, a much simpler endeavour given the footholds of the surrounding rocks. The rocks protected against attacks from beneath the water and provided a good vantage to counter, too. Tag-teaming, Ash had Rockruff intercept a charge from Alomomola with Rock Throw, which grounded it atop a rock, and Litten followed up with an unprompted Fury Swipes. A Thunder Fang later, and the Alomomola flopped feebly, unconscious.

Ash turned around just in time to witness the Totem charging one of its overpowered blasts of water, its eyes directed on Litten and Rockruff.

"Scatter!" Ash called. The attacked ripped the air in half once again, but this time, Litten and Rockruff had darted to the outer rocks, avoiding the move.

For about five minutes, Rockruff and Litten jumped on the Totem, attacking. Whenever they were shaken off, they ran sinuous paths over the rocks, avoiding the Water Guns, then jumped back on, delivering Thunder Fang and Fury Swipes to deal as much damage to its infinite endurance as possible. But they were slowly being worn down by the Water Guns; Rockruff and Litten's fur was each sopping and shaggy. The more Wishiwashi that were ripped from the Totem the more the lake looked like a room of watery lasers.

Thankfully, the Totem was taking equal amounts of damage. Another five minutes later, the Totem was full of holes. Still, it didn't fall, and it still had enough energy to charge water in its mouth, smaller now, however.

While Litten was parkouring through the Water Guns, the closest of which Rockruff blocked with Rock Throw from afar, the Totem unleashed another attack, finally landing a hit on the pair. However, unlike the last one that catapulted Litten into the wall, shattering the stone, they were merely knocked to the furthest reaches of the rocks, dumped into the water. Slowly, the pair climbed out, panting, even more sopping.

Ash tightened his jaw. They couldn't take another hit like that; the Totem was already desperately preparing one. But it looked as if the Totem would still be able to endure several attacks. Deciding to risk it all on one move, Ash stepped down onto Lapras' shell and jumped onto one of the rocks himself, facing the Totem Pokémon. The rain piddling against him, drenching his hair to his head, tracing and rolling over his cheeks and along the sharp edge of his jaw, Ash addressed his team.

"Rockruff, run in, keeping the Water Guns off us! Litten, you're with me!" Ash called, then turned to the Totem. Ash looked down at Litten and smirked. He reached across to his left wrist, grabbed his Z-Ring, and twisted the grey crystal. The light of the Normalium Z spread out of his ring, surrounded Litten, and the pair began enacting the actions in tandem.

"Breakneck Blitz!" Ash shouted. For the first time, Litten had success. It was a little different this time, given he had to jump between the rocks, but Litten charged, unrestrained, directly towards the Totem. As Litten neared, he jumped off a rock, the speed and power of the Z-Move carrying him the rest of the way through the air.

While mid-air, the Totem Wishiwashi unleashed another jet of water. The two moves clashed, but Litten soon overpowered it, pushing through, crashing directly through the Wishiwashi's head, scattering the school like bowling pins. Litten kept going with the Z-Move, only finishing when he crashed through the waterfall and into the cave beyond it. As the Wishiwashi rained down into the pool, finally, the Totem was defeated.

Elation spurring him on, Ash searched around for the Z-Crystal he had to retrieve. Litten's voice echoed out of the cave, telling Ash it was there, and so he guided Lapras over to the cave, hopped off, climbed the rough wall, and entered.

It was a small cave, as cobbly as the tidepools above, the sounds of pinging water dropping from the roof echoing despite the rushing waterfall. In the centre, there it stood: the pedestal with a sparkling blue Z-Crystal situated inside it. Ash stepped up to the pedestal, took a look at both Litten and Rockruff, and, with a feeling of great pride charging his exhausted body, retrieved the Z-Crystal.

* * *

Following his swift exit from the cave – which came in the form of a triumphant bellow and a reckless dive through the waterfall – Ash swam to the beach where he was received by congratulations from his soaked friends and blushing from Lillie for some reason when he discarded his buoyancy aid. Afterwards, Lana demonstrated the Z-Move with the Waterium Z. Ash spent a minute or two copying her, scribbling the moves in his head for future practice.

When all formalities were completed Lana ripped away her day-to-day outfit to reveal a one-piece swimsuit beneath. She ran to the lake and dived in. Ash soon joined her in the water, then Brock joined them – his tropical, palm tree shorts were actually swimming trunks – baring his surprisingly muscled body that Kiawe regarded oddly respectfully. Dawn was next, whose swimsuit was incorporated into her outfit too and prompted Lana to claim how unfair it was that she looked as great as Mallow in a swimsuit.

They played in the lake, and with the Wishiwashi, Dewpider, and Alomomola for a long time. After such an arduous task that the trial had been, Ash appreciated the simplicity of swimming and splashing each other with water, competing in frivolous races. Whether his joy amplified the fun he had, or it was just being with his friends, Ash didn't know. Frankly, he didn't care.

They headed back to the Poké-Center late into the afternoon. After a shower and some much-needed sustenance, Ash settled into one of the seats in the Poké-Center, discussing his day with Mallow, who was eager to question him about it the minute she returned.

Time seemed to disappear while they talked, much of which Mallow did, quite excitably. Ash didn't mind it, though. Talking to her was soothing, comforting.

In little respites of Mallow's babbling, Ash let his thoughts wander a bit, to his Pokémon, to his friends, and the approaching trial for Professor Oak. Given the emergence of the issues he had just dealt with, that trial and his mother's new information had been far from his cares. Seeing as it was nearing the day, however, Ash was increasingly nervous, apprehensive.

As Mallow resumed talking, Ash spotted Clemont return with an almost completed invention, Lillie head to their room looking rather dejected, and Hau hounding Lana about a challenge next. By the time night arrived, he and Mallow were the only ones left in the lobby after Lana made an expression Ash couldn't read and dashed away, waving. Again, it made Ash curious as to what was going on with them.

With a large yawn, Ash eventually bid goodnight to Mallow and headed to his room. He stopped, however, beside the doors to the balcony, in a similar way as he had a few nights prior. Only this time, it was Lana stood on the balcony wearing her sleepwear: an ocean blue vest top and white shorts.

"Hi, Lana!" Ash cheerfully greeted, leaning beside her, resting his elbows on the mahogany bannister.

"Ash! Finally got Mallow to shut up, eh?" Lana asked amiably.

Ash chuckled good-naturedly. "Something like that. I don't mind. She's really easy to talk to."

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Lana muttered, turning out to watch the forest, wherein a couple of Fomantis bobbed along, disappearing between the leaves of a bush. "I think the world of her."

"Yeah, I can tell."

"It's only natural," Lana said, "since she's my first ever friend. And, honestly, one of few friends I have."

"Really?"

"Yep. Probably just our group. I don't get along with a lot of people. They either get annoyed by my personality or prefer to hang out with somebody else. I do have a pen pal I write to now and again from Kanto. I haven't spoken to her in a while, not since something big happened in her life… Never met her in person, though.

"The thing is… I used to be incredibly shy. I wouldn't go near a single person, so I was kinda lonely. Then, one day, I met Mallow in the forest, and we had a little adventure. Since then, she's stuck by my side, helped me make friends, and made me a bit more of a confident person. Without Mallow coming into my life, I'd never have been able to do anything I have today: I wouldn't be training to be a Trial Captain, we probably wouldn't have met… Not that it was all good. I probably wouldn't have been so ruthlessly rejected by my first crush but there you go. I learned from it."

Ash was slightly amused by the final comment, but that feeling was quickly discarded when he recalled something Mallow had previously said on the exact topic. It bounced around his head, feeling somewhat significant. When it finally bound his thoughts together, Ash, experiencing a rare epiphany, surmised a startling reason as to the strange situation he had recently spied between Lana and Mallow. Per his deduction, it all made sense now. He felt like a detective for figuring it out.

"No way… I've got it!" Ash excitedly shouted, causing Lana to flinch. "I know why you and Mallow have been acting strange recently!"

Instantaneously, Lana froze, her eyes alarmed, her lips pursed. "Uhh, what?"

"It's something Mallow said about you and your first crush a few days ago!"

"I, uhh, I don't know what you mean," Lana tried, sounding more alarmed now, more like she had something to hide.

"Oh, come on! I'm oblivious, and even I've seen what's going on! One minute you're pulling Mallow to share a room with you in the hotel, then you're pushing her on to me while Mantine Surfing. Add that to Mallow saying, 'she always wanted to be with them but pushed them away because she was nervous' about your first crush, and you've got your answer!" Ash explained, feeling proud of himself for figuring something out for once. Take that Bonnie, he thought. She had always accused him of being dense.

"Uh, Ash, wait. Please don't tell me I gave it away…" Lana desperately tried, but Ash was determined to announce the truth.

"You have a crush on Mallow!"

In the aftermath of his unveiling – during which he faced Lana with his arms on his hips, a certain grin on his face – the only audible sound was the rain picking up, gently pattering the leaves around them. Then, Lana spoke, her expression morphing into some form of amusement.

"Heh?" she breathed, sounding on the verge of laughter.

"It's like she said. You want to spend time with her as with the hotel but you're nervous, so you push her away, like during Mantine surfing," Ash explained, believing his conclusion as fact.

Lana just laughed at him. For a long time.

"What?!" Ash asked, sounding childishly offended.

"You're a dense idiot!" Lana exclaimed, still laughing. "I don't have a crush on Mallow! If anything, I feel sorry for her right now. Oh, Arceus, this is too funny!"

"What's so funny?!" Ash shouted, dismayed he had been wrong. He had been so sure about it too.

It took a few minutes for Lana to calm down, by the end of which she was wiping the tears from her eyes, uncaring about the rain. Though, when she spoke, her tone was a little more sombre than he had expected.

"Did you genuinely think that was it?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

"No, but… I mean… we're both girls."

"…So?"

"Well… Some people think relationships like that are wrong, others get all weird when talking about it, yet you mentioned it so casually," Lana said.

"Huh? People think that's wrong?" Ash asked, genuinely surprised. Ash was somewhat clueless about a lot of things, and he knew his view on such situations was uneducated and he regarded them with his heart rather than his head, but he couldn't fathom why there would be a problem.

"Yeah. It's a pretty big deal," Lana said.

"Why?" Ash asked, scratching his head awkwardly. He had never been good at talking about such things. "Why do people have to make a big thing about two girls liking each other? It's as natural as a boy and a girl liking each other, right? I dunno if it's a simplistic view, but it's not a big deal, and people shouldn't make it one. It shouldn't matter if you're a boy or a girl. Love is love."

Lana was silent once again after his comment, though this time it seemed to be because she was speechless. "You're completely right. You're just as amazing as Mallow… But why do you speak as if you've been in love before?"

"Ah… No… I-I dunno about that… But, wait, if it's not that you like Mallow, maybe Mallow likes someone… Kiawe? Nah, it can't be him… Hau?"

"Have you ever thought it could be you?" Lana asked.

"Nah, it couldn't be me," Ash said certainly. "There's no way."

"Huh?" Lana asked with astonishment.

Thinking of Serena's prior comment, Ash chose to change the subject. "Uhh… What were you thinking about before I came?"

Lana frowned at his blatant ignoring of the subject but didn't press the matter, which he was thankful for. "You."

"Ah… Umm… I'm flattered."

"Hah! No, I mean your first trial attempt. You've stopped me from asking about it so far but… You lost on purpose, didn't you?"

"Honestly, no," Ash answered truthfully. "I just knew I would lose. Litten was having a tough time after losing and I wasn't able to help him feel better before the trial. That's why I kinda turned it into a lesson for both Litten and Rockruff. I'm a more experienced trainer than I used to be. I know how to take care of Pokémon, I'm better at making tactics, and I'm more confident about what moves to use. But all the experience in the world can't make a Pokémon strong unless they know what it's like to lose. That's how I think of it, anyway. This was the perfect opportunity to take my inevitable loss and turn it into a lesson on what defeat feels like. Sorry for using your trial to do that."

He sincerely felt bad for his first attempt. He had tackled it with other things on his mind, even after he had promised Lana that he'd give her trial a good go.

"I don't mind," Lana said, shrugging indifferently. "I was struggling with how to set up my trial, too. When you attempted it the first time, I had only cobbled it together. I didn't know how well it would work. Your ideas on how to improve really helped me out."

"So, I was your test subject?"

"Pretty much. Though, I did tell the Pokémon to go a lot harder on you this second time. Usually, they wouldn't attack after being knocked out or after falling out of the Totem formation."

"Well, today's challenge was a lot better, just so you know. I didn't have a moment to rest. It was incredible," Ash stated.

"Why thank you, Ash. Everything worked out in the end. Plus, I get the bragging rights for being the first person that you lose to since it was my trial. I mean, technically."

Ash laughed. "I guess that's true."

* * *

"Do you have everything you need?" Grace Yvonne kindly asked, zipping up Serena's bag after stashing away Rhyhorn's Pokéball.

It had been a few days since she returned home, during which time she had reunited with her mother and detailed more clearly the goings-on in Kanto. Explaining the terrible way that she had acted while hypnotised was a difficult process, but she had finally gotten there, finishing the story at almost midnight. She had slept well that night, in the comfort of her soft bed once more, free from the clutches of her memory and Oak's lab.

"Yep," Serena answered, placing her original hat atop her head, her honey hair almost at its old length again.

"Be careful, sweetie. I know you have your Pokémon with you, but don't get too reckless. I know how Ash has influenced you lately."

As she gave her mother a tight hug, Serena smiled at the thought. Ash truly had changed her in many ways. She had previously been hesitant to leave her house and explore, but now she was going out alone. And it had all started when she saw him recklessly leap from the top of Prism Tower after Pikachu.

"I will," Serena said, and she stepped out into the front yard, still blooming in the early Autumn; her mother followed her out. She knelt beside Rhyhorn, rubbing her nose. She had a long trek ahead of her, so she had opted to finally put her countless, painful, and arduous hours of Rhyhorn riding practice to good use.

"Where are you heading first?" Grace asked, pride in her posture.

"The wetlands. Route 14, I think. That's where Ash's Goodra is. I figure Goodra will be a lot easier to find than Greninja…" Serena answered, standing back up and dusting her jeans, pondering where in Kalos the latter could be.

"I see. Good luck, Serena. I'm sure you'll be able to see Ash soon."

Nodding, Serena climbed onto Rhyhorn's saddle, grabbed the reins, and looked up at her mother. "Alright, I'm off!" she said and flicked the reins lightly. Rhyhorn began moving, picking up pace as they left the yard.

Serena shared a wave with her mother until she exited Vaniville town. She soon arrived in Aquacorde Town, wherein, each riding their own Pokémon, Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno were waiting for her. They had all been around Shauna's house when Serena had returned home, and when she told them of her job, they had asked to assist her, something she was quick to accept.

After she greeted each of them, they headed into Santalune Forest.


	32. Chapter 31: Lillie and the Pokémon Egg

Chapter 31:

Lillie and the Pokémon Egg

It was another of those distressing mornings, plagued with panic and torment, born from her erratic subconscious.

Lillie awoke before dawn; the room was still moonlit-dark, it was sleeping, the rhythm of Ash's soft breaths breaking-up the nightly silence. She still saw through the pale light, despite the night. As she slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes, glancing around, she unwittingly glimpsed her body. Only momentarily, but a moment was enough for the phantasmal memories to appear. Lillie saw the images of her past flit through her head all at once. They were only illusory images – in reality, all she was seeing was the darkness – and she knew they were, yet it seemed as visible as a video being replayed to her, but only of the scenes depicting her struggles. As if the rest was cropped out.

Her attack of recollection proved too tormenting and overpowering that time: Lillie lay petrified in her bed, clutching the sheets to her chest with trembling arms, hot tears trickling down her slightly puffy cheeks. For about an hour they played – she assumed – but she lay there for much longer, all the while enduring the persistent distressing thoughts, fear, and depression that accompanied the aftermath.

Dawn had long passed when Lillie finally calmed, which was instigated when Ash's groggy, yet soothing voice wished her 'Good morning'. It was as if his conscious presence neutralised her overwhelming terror immediately. Lillie assumed that impossible rescue was another result of the bizarre occurrences she had experienced within herself when around Ash. Recently, Ash was affecting her in strange ways: whenever he spoke to her and spent time with her, her mood brightened; Lillie felt her cheeks heating up if he walked or stood by her side or if he showed that handsome, signature grin towards her, forcing her to reciprocate a similar one; whenever she was around Ash, Lillie forgot all about her troubles and remained pointlessly cheerful until hours after he was gone. Lillie had no idea what was going on. She hadn't felt anything so euphoric before.

Lillie tried her best to respond without her voice wavering or cracking, without it sounding tearful, yet succeeded at hiding none of it. It was probably because her reply had been so muffled that Ash headed for the bathroom without any indication that he had noticed her state, a fortunate fluke on her part.

Her memory 'attacks' had been getting worse lately, opposing Ash's effect on her. Now, sometimes, the images hounded her when she simply looked in the mirror. It was unpredictable in those cases, enough to dampen her mood, but not enough to petrify her. Whenever she saw her reminders though, her scars, she felt as she just had: paralysed, tormented, and trapped. The consequential hysteria grew more powerful each time. As with Ash, Lillie couldn't surmise a reason for the increasing severity of the ordeal. She just wanted it all to stop. She wanted to be able to join her friends in having fun, as with the lake yesterday, during which time her mood had fallen drastically. She wanted to be able to live happily.

That's why, at about ten o'clock, after ducking into the shower before Ash could see her properly and greeting all of her friends for breakfast, Lillie headed out of the Poké-Center and towards the lab in Heahea City, a place named the Dimensional Research Laboratory. A possibility to alleviate her situation resided there. Lillie had explained her visits to the lab to her friends as meeting somebody important to her, as with Ash's inquiry the previous day, but that was a half-truth.

The person she was meeting was one of three individuals who knew of her situation, the other two being Professor Kukui and Kahuna Hala: a woman named Professor Burnet. Four months ago, Burnet had found her washed ashore out front of Kukui's house one morning, and since then, after she explained her situation, Burnet had been helping her however she could. Lillie had explained the flashes of memories she had been having, so Burnet suggested a method to uncover the truth. So, currently, as she had told Ash, Lillie was waiting to receive some results from Burnet of a special scan she had undergone the day Ash battled Hau. A key step in overcoming the increasingly difficult memories she suffered from. That part she hadn't told her friends.

"T-This is it," Lillie said, stopping outside the lab doors, turning to face Mallow, her escort, who was on her way to her trial site. "Thank you for walking me."

"No problem!" Mallow responded with a smile that eased the nervousness clutching Lillie's heart towards the impending results.

Departing from Mallow with a wave, Lillie hesitantly entered the sandy-walled lab. She was feeling a little bit hopeful towards the news, and extremely nervous. The results could show anything.

Offering a timid wave to the lady at the front desk, Lillie ascended to the third floor via the elevator and stepped into the familiar lab. The walls of the room were light grey, sectioned into faint squares by white lines; a checked pattern of white and cadet grey adorned the floor. To her immediate right stood two blurred panels, beyond which, centred in the room, stood a long rectangular table cluttered with tabletop PCs and the necessary accessories, rounded by rolling chairs. A wall of large television screens depicting all sorts of data – a heat map, a scanner of the whole island – faced the table. On the other side of the entrance stood a huge bookcase chocked with files and full boxes.

Timidly greeting the workers as she passed by, Lillie headed to the door beyond the bookcase, beside which a plethora of different machines buzzing like Magnemite and more television screens were stationed. She entered through the door into an office, shutting it behind her.

Unlike the bright white, monochrome workspace outside, the office was more homely: the walls were panelled with what looked like red oak wood, and the floor was carpeted. A few bookshelves lined the walls and a cupboard stacked with files stood on her immediate right, beside a counter with a coffee machine and a fridge. Opposite to her was a window peering over Heahea through wooden blinds. Positioned against the same wall was a cherry wood desk topped by picture frames, a vase of flowers, another computer set-up, a journal, and a mug of coffee. And behind the desk, on a spinning chair, spun Professor Burnet.

Professor Burnet was an eccentric woman, as was her appearance. Her eyes were a striking yellow, and her hair white, pointing upwards yet tied in a loose ponytail, maintained by an upside-down green headband – her fringe and the parts that fell over her shoulders were curled like streaks of electricity. Unlike the lab coats of her colleagues outside, she wore a grey vest-top and black stirrup trousers, with green slip-on shoes and a black and orange jacket tied around her waist.

"Lillie! There you are!" Burnet announced. She stopped spinning on the chair, which Lillie knew she did while she thought. "Take a seat."

"Thank you," Lillie said graciously, but her voice sounded incredibly nervous. As she took a seat on the comfy chair the other side of the desk, Burnet reached over, gently placing her hands atop Lillie's trembling ones.

"Try not to be nervous, dear," Burnet said, retracting her hands and offering a warm smile, "the results won't change."

"Y-You're right," Lillie said. "Does that mean you have the results?"

"I do," Burnet said, picking up some papers. "Do you want me to explain, or do you want to read it?"

"C-Could you explain, please? I-I'm too nervous…"

"Of course," Burnet said sympathetically. She shuffled the papers, placing them down in front of Lillie.

"First, I'll explain the procedure. The scan we had you undergo was a new process that Kukui and I created. As you know, my research concerns different dimensions, so the scan we did isn't really my forte, but an aspect of my research focuses on people who have travelled to these different dimensions. Those who cross over and returned, or those that come from these other dimensions, have different energy signatures to us, something we found out quite a few years ago. We call them Fallers – although, we've only ever met one.

"Now, this energy signature can be detected with the technology we had, but we want to study it in more detail. Scans such as x-rays don't work in that sense because it doesn't give us answers in as much detail as we would like. Kukui and I, by mixing science and Pokémon moves, came up with a way to get a more detailed image of the goings-on within the body as well as the accompanying data. This scan is actually what won me the 'Alola Woman of the Year' award this year," Burnet explained pridefully.

Lillie, listening intently, could feel her chest constricting the longer she had to wait for the results.

"The scan we created is quite complex. You need a few specific Pokémon with specific abilities and moves, and they must be trained in certain ways. Firstly, a Kadabra with the Inner Focus ability and the move Miracle Eye. Miracle Eye, in battle, allows Dark-Types to be hit by Psychic-Type moves. Kukui said this is because the move allows the user to see the make-up of the Dark-Type's body and typing so accurately you can alter the make-up temporarily, allowing ways for Psychic-Type moves to hit. The important thing is that it can be used to see the structure of an organism's body. It can do this with humans too. By combining this with Inner Focus, it allows the Miracle Eye to be more accurate since the Kadabra doesn't flinch. It can keep its body completely rigid. Movement makes the image of the body blurry.

"Using these two together, the Kadabra visualises a perfect image of an organism's structure in its head. However, it is in black and white, kind of like an x-ray image. To counteract this, Kukui suggested we sent a weak pulse of Psywave – or, really, a form of energy – through the body. We used Chimecho, a Pokémon originating from Hoenn, to do this. What that does is highlight the different parts of the body different shades because the energy reacts at different speeds to different body parts. Again, similar to how radiation reacts faster or slower on different parts of the body in x-rays. As a result, the Kadabra can see an image of everything going on in the body, coloured specifically.

"The issue here is that Kadabra is the only one that can see it. So, we have a Kirlia with the ability Telepathy connect its thoughts to the Kadabra so it can share the image. Again, this has to be trained. Then, the Kirlia connects its thoughts to one final Pokémon: Porygon. Porygon is an artificial Pokémon made up entirely of programming code and data. So, by putting the image into the Porygon's mind, the image is converted into programming data since that is Porygon itself. Then, all we need to do is use the Porygon's Download ability to transmit the data onto a computer and create a physical image for us to see. By doing that, we can get an image similar to an x-ray but with more detail, and the required data outside of the image for further research is on the computer. Does that make sense?"

Lillie honestly couldn't give a straight reply. It was simply mind-blowing to think that, by training Pokémon in such a way, something so intricate and beneficial was possible. It was a breakthrough in itself. But she merely nodded in response, too distracted by the results of her scan to offer more.

"So…" Burnet said, sighing deeply, pulling out one final sheet of paper. She placed the sheet onto the desk and slid it to Lillie. "This is the x-ray like image we have of you, Lillie. Since you told me about these images, and I know you haven't had a doctor properly look at you after… everything, I recommended you have this scan. So, really, for two reasons. This is why we asked you to close your eyes: because it involved Pokémon being near you."

"Then that was why I felt uncomfortable?" Lillie asked, scanning the image. It looked very much like an x-ray only coloured randomly, probably to some sort of code Burnet knew. Little smudges of purple that looked like blots of paint caught Lillie's attention.

"Probably, yes."

"What are these purple parts?" Lillie quickly asked, panicked because, to her, it didn't look healthy.

"They're what I need to talk to you about," Burnet breathed. Once again, she reached over the desk, holding Lillie's hands this time, looking her in the eye. Lillie felt slightly comforted by the action, even against the rising panic of her serious tone. She tried to prepare herself. It was time to find out the results.

"Thankfully, we didn't find any internal damage or anything of that sort related to your injuries, which was one reason for the scan…" Burnet said.

Lillie allowed a sigh at that.

"But the other reason, the purple smudges, well… We came across this foreign substance in your blood. Since we had to determine what it is, the process took longer than we originally thought. We've discovered it's a strange type of neurotoxin. From what we could tell, this type of neurotoxin amplifies thoughts and actions. In your case negative thoughts and actions. However, since there's a low supply in your body, it can't influence your actions, only your thoughts. Hence, we've concluded that the reason you're seeing such lucid and harrowing flashbacks of your past is because of this neurotoxin. Since it focuses on negative thoughts in your case, I think the happier you are, the more it amplifies the negative ones. Lillie… if this continues getting worse, your memories may be all you think about…"

Lillie froze, yet she began hyperventilating at the same time, a strange combination. The thought of having such a foreign substance in her body, causing such terrible feelings, made her teeter towards a panic attack. "H-How did this happen?"

Burnet continued. Lillie guessed it was because she had to explain it all at once or else she would have had to experience that feeling all over again. "I believe the only way it could have gotten into your body was through open cuts. Do you ever remember coming into contact with a strange Poison-Type Pokémon?"

Lillie shook her head. She definitely couldn't. Not in the memories, either. The only unidentifiable thing she could envisage from her flashbacks was a bubble-like structure.

"You explained that it starts whenever you see your scars, and I think that's because that's where the toxin itself is most prominent. When you see them, you think bad things automatically, and that's only amplified. Some people consider scars memories of your struggles, but for you, having them in itself is a detriment to your health."

"W…What can I do?!" Lillie asked, desperately.

"The best thing to do is to go to the hospital and take Heal Pulse therapy. It's a process where a Blissey uses Heal Pulse on you in a specific way to heal the body. It takes place throughout a few sessions. It can heal everything small, like cuts, scars. Not bones, though. That is the only way I can think of to help you. The only problem is… you have to touch the Blissey for it to work…"

Her only option was to face her biggest fear. To do something she was unable to. Her only cure was out of reach. She was trapped.

Once again feeling helpless and terrified, Lillie pulled her knees to her chest, leaned back in the soft armchair, and cried. Several emotions hit her all at once, a jumble of such confusion all Lillie _could_ do was cry because there was no other way to explain it nor express it. Soon after her tears began, Burnet rounded the desk. She knelt beside Lillie's chair and pulled her into a hug.

They remained that way for a while, Burnet rubbing her arms soothingly, Lillie releasing all of her emotions. This time, to somebody else. Strangely, it felt good to have someone see her cry, a tiny relief in her tapestry of struggles. She didn't have to hide how hurt she was sometimes. She didn't have to lie about it. She wasn't alone.

After some time, one of Burnet's co-workers knocked on the door, announcing that they were going to start an experiment. Seeing as Burnet had work to do, Lillie quickly visited the toilets in the lab to clean up and headed to the door despite the woman's protests in that she could postpone it.

"Lillie," Burnet said in the lobby, relieving her of another hug, "keep working at getting close to Pokémon. If you make it past that hurdle, you should be ok with the Heal Pulse therapy. I know you can do it."

"T-Thank you, Professor Burnet…" Lillie said. Tentatively reaching forwards at first, retracting, then risking it, Lillie gave Burnet another final hug before leaving.

When she stepped out into the non-airconditioned warmth outside, she decided to wander around Heahea City while she processed everything she had heard. She had no destination. Anywhere was fine; all she wanted to do was gather her thoughts on her situation without breaking down. More calmly.

She set off to the left of the lab.

* * *

The afternoon dragged on. Lillie still couldn't surmise a concrete way to describe how she was feeling even after reiterating Burnet's explanation several times, even as the golden flecks marking the inception of the sunset faded into existence. The closest she could get to describing it was scared. Terrified. Lillie still hadn't been able to comprehend the entirety of her situation either. There was so much going on that she couldn't control; she felt helpless towards her own mind and body, her entire self. There was nothing she could do. It made her want to curl up in bed and lie there, doing nothing but absorbing the calming warmth the sheets offered.

Her wandering led her all over the main island, mostly to places vacant of other people. Currently, she was walking through the forest path of route 6 just outside of Royal Avenue. It had been packed with people in there, so she had passed it by, not keen on being surrounded, smothered when she was in such a fragile state.

The edge of Paniola Ranch in view, Lillie heard her name being called from the way she had come. She flinched in panic, her chest tightening again, not knowing how she would react to someone's presence. She didn't want anyone to see her. But it was Ash. That was all that she needed. Her tension dissipated.

After greeting her, however, Ash quickly interrupted her response, sounding concerned. "Are you alright?" Ash asked, looking her in the eyes as if reading her.

"O-Oh, yes… no, not really… I… I didn't get good news at the lab…"

"I see…" Ash muttered. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Lillie faltered. Truly, her answer was yes. That was what she wanted to say. It was what she should have said. But her nervousness spoke for her instead. "…N-Not right now… Sorry, Ash."

"Huh? Why're you apologising?"

"I feel bad keeping things from you," Lillie said. She looked at her feet to avoid his eyes, fiddling with her hands.

"You shouldn't feel bad about that."

For a few minutes, the slight awkwardness that had appeared between them – of which Lillie knew she was the cause – was filled with small talk about how Ash had been at the Battle Royal Dome all day, training. By the time they fronted the little wooden hut in Paniola Ranch, their conversation was stopped when the door of the hut swung open, a voice shouting out from within.

"Thank you for the check-up! Have a nice day!"

From the doorway stepped a man Lillie quickly recognised. She had seen him on television talk shows and displayed in countless articles. With white hair cropped to his shoulders and a dark tan, it was Samson Oak. In his arms, he was carrying two small yellow containers.

"Samson!" Ash said, announcing that he too knew who he was. Given the use of his first name rather than his title as a professor, Lillie assumed they knew one another well.

"Ah, Ash! What a pleasant surprise, and a stroke of Golduck, might I add," Samson responded, nodding towards him, then Lillie herself in greeting. "And who might you be? Your girlfriend, Ash?"

"H-Huh?!" Lillie stuttered, becoming flustered. Her heart rate sped up to a pace much faster than any other situation could have risen it. "N-No, I, umm…"

"Ah… This is Lillie. She's a friend," Ash introduced awkwardly. He locked eyes with Lillie, in which she could see a sincere apology.

"I see, I see, I was only mes-Silcoon-ing. I am Samson Oak," Samson said, laughing to himself.

"N-Nice to meet you. Umm… Mes-Silcoon-ing?" Lillie asked.

"Samson enjoys Pokémon puns. I think he means messing," Ash explained. "Speaking of puns, did you mean seeing me was good luck when you said Golduck?"

"I did indeed!" Samson explained, crouching down and placing the two containers on the floor. He lifted the lids, and Lillie gasped. Placed inside the containers were two Pokémon eggs. The egg in the left container was mostly brown, embellished with orange swirls shaped like little waves on and around the bottom. The right egg was an immaculate snow white and dotted with clouds of various shades of blue. Lillie was entranced by the eggs. She had read all about eggs and the beauty of the life within but had never before seen any in person. While both were beautiful, the white egg, gleaming in contrast to the other, stole Lillie's attention the most.

"I've been looking for you. I was thinking that you could take care of one of these eggs for me, Ash."

Crouching down also – Lillie did too to get a better look at the eggs – Ash tilted his head to the side. "Really?"

"Indeed. Within these eggs are Mew-two of the same species of Pokémon. One of them is Kantonian, the other is its Alolan variant. As my research covers Alolan variants, I want the two Pokémon to be nurtured similarly to compare their natures upon hatching. To do this, I would like some help in caring for them until they hatch. I thought, given your experience, you could take one along with you. When it hatches, we can meet back up and I carry out my research, then you can add it to your team if you so wish."

"Huh…" Ash muttered ponderously, scrutinising the egg a little bit. "Yeah, I don't mind taking it along. But how are you going to take care of yours? In my case, wouldn't it be around battling all the time? And I get the idea yours wouldn't be."

"Ah, yes, that's so-Mothim I overlooked. Something significant, too… If it's around battling, that would undoubtedly alter its personality…" Samson muttered to himself in the same way Lillie had often caught Kukui doing. It seemed as if mumbling was an automatic trait owned by any enthusiastic professor.

"Then…" Ash muttered, "How about letting Lillie take care of it?"

"M-Me?!" Lillie cried, startled by his sudden suggestion.

How could Ash possibly suggest such a thing? Sure, she had researched Pokémon eggs and the proper procedures for nurturing them, but she had no experience in practical execution. Plus, she had her fear holding her back. She didn't know if she'd even be able to hold the egg with the state she was currently in, the turbulence of her emotions. Although, she couldn't deny the jump of excitement she felt when Ash suggested it. Many times, in her past, as a small girl, she had pretended to take care of her plush Pokémon and eggs in the way a child plays, as any girl her age of a similar mentality would have. It was one thing that she could do to occupy the loneliness, but it birthed a deep desire to take care of a real one herself. An egg wasn't yet a Pokémon. Could it be a loophole?

"Yeah!" Ash said.

"Yes, I think that could work," Samson said pleasantly.

"B-But I don't have any experience. I couldn't possibly take care of a Pokémon egg sufficiently, especially with…" Lillie trailed off, finding it hard to mention her fear in Samson's presence. But it seemed Ash knew what she meant.

"Lillie, you're one of the smartest people I know. I know you've done loads of research on the subject," Ash said, and Lillie couldn't deny her smile at the compliment.

"T-That is true…" Lillie muttered.

"I won't try and force you," Ash said calmly, soothingly. "But I think it could be beneficial for you. I've had experience taking care of eggs in the past, so I can help you out however and whenever you need. Plus, Brock is a Pokémon Doctor. He can teach you anything I can't."

"Ash…" Lillie muttered. The soft look in his eyes was much too powerful. Despite her hesitance, despite her worries and fear, seeing that was all she needed to discard them and form an answer. Mustering as much determination as she could, Lillie nodded. "I-I'll do it!"

"Awesome!" Ash shouted, throwing up his arms in a celebratory manner.

"Excellent," Samson added. "Which egg would you like to take with you?"

"The white one, please," Lillie said without hesitation.

"Of course. Here you are," Samson said, placing on the lid, and handing it to her.

"Thank you very much," Lillie said graciously, taking it into her arms. She didn't know if she could hold the egg because it was covered, but it didn't matter. The warmth of a life was in her arms, in her care; she could feel the warmth emitting from it even through the cover. She knew she had to do everything in her abilities to make sure the egg hatched healthily. It was her only little challenge. And she was ready for it, the confusion of her feelings in response to Burnet's news now tucked away elsewhere for the moment, replaced by responsibility. And it was all because, once again, Ash had done something for her.

"Alright, then," Samson said. "I will be on Akala Island for a little while longer. If you ever need to find me, come visit the ranch here."

"Ok. Thank you again, Professor Oak."

"Oh ho, no worries! I will see you–"

"Actually, Samson, can I talk to you about something? It's kinda important," Ash suddenly said.

"Oh? Of course. Shellder we go to the Pokémon Center, then?"

"Yeah, thanks," Ash said.

They set off for the Poké-Center. But the mystery of Ash's conversation was the last thing on Lillie's mind. She was focussing on the egg hugged in her arms, wondering whether she could do it. Wondering if, one day, it could allow her to hold Pokémon. So far, she had improved in petting Pikachu, but maybe the egg was her true beginning.

Lillie headed upstairs while Ash spoke with Samson and decided to make a soft bed of cushions for the egg on the armchair in the corner. Nestling the egg in the centre, Lillie spent a long time just looking at it, smiling. Inside of it was her very first Pokémon, something she had been wishing for, for countless years. When it hatched, she could join her friends in playing with their Pokémon together. She could finally become a real part of the group. That was how she felt, anyway, and what she hoped.

When Ash returned to the room, looking perplexed, and they prepared for bed, Lillie had one question in mind for him before she snuggled up for the night.

"Ash," she tentatively asked, "why did you suggest that I take the egg?"

Ash smiled, not taking even a second to think about his answer. "As I said, I think it'll really help with your fear of Pokémon. I mean, hatching your very own Pokémon has gotta help, right? And…" Ash said, trailing off. "I thought it might make you happy. And it seems like I was right."

"Make me happy?" Lillie asked, taken-aback.

"Yeah. You were sad because of the news you received, right? I thought it might make you feel better."

Lillie said nothing after that, other than a quiet 'thank you'. She didn't know what to say. Facing away from Ash so as he didn't see her glowing expression that she thought probably illuminated the darkness, Lillie lay in bed, snuggled up in her quilt, pondering his answer for a long time. She was awake for a lot longer than she had wanted to be, her smile never leaving her lips. Ash had done everything for her sake. Despite the terrible news she had received and the assumption that she would feel terrible about it in the morning, Lillie didn't think she could feel any happier in that fleeting moment.


	33. Chapter 32: Oak's Trial

Chapter 32:

Oak's Trial

Professor Samuel Oak's trial had only been a short week away when he had been alerted to its approach, yet the period leading up to it had felt equally fast and slow. Ash's days of rigorous training and battling, and tussling with the complexity of Litten's psyche had whizzed by, and yet it had progressed slowly, too, each day providing another single tweak to the screw of his apprehension, slowly tightening it. Thursday morning, the morn of Oak's unpredictable trial, Ash's heart was unyieldingly fastened in a state of restlessness.

Ash was nervous and anxious towards seeing Oak for the first time since the whole chaotic ordeal. Towards that, and his mother's news that nipped at the recesses of his overactive mind as he attempted to predict an outcome to the trial; every hypothesis he created was unrealistic and radical, such as Oak turning on the judge like some rabid Houndoom. Ash's imagination was unlimited, a trait that usually helped in battling and training, but in such a distressing situation, when his emotions were mercurial, it didn't help. He couldn't predict how he would react to the trial. And that worried him.

It was almost mid-day, and he, Dawn, Brock, Clemont, Hau, and Lillie, and the ex-Rocket trio were onboard Kukui's rustic boat, heading to the dock of Hau'oli City on Melemele Island. It was in sight, meaning the time was nearing. Ash felt another twist of anxiousness. He tried not to unveil his emotions by watching the white arrow-shaped trail left by the boat, but everyone could probably see his state. Or sense it, given his unusual quiet, even as they made small talk.

"I've been here for about a week. I've really enjoyed spending the time on the beach and looking around and everything, but I feel like I want to involve myself in something more…" Dawn explained to Hau and Lillie.

"What sorta thing?" Hau asked.

"Well, you and Ash are taking on the Island Challenge, and Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, and… Sophocles? They're training as those Trial Captains, that's why they're not here… I don't know. I feel like I want to do something, too."

"I-I get what you mean," Lillie said, who was carrying her new egg in her arms – inside the container, of course. That morning, everyone had been overjoyed to discover Lillie technically had her own Pokémon. Everyone's joy for her seemed to brighten Lillie's mood, too, and for some reason, seeing Lillie smile in such a real manner had made Ash smile too. "I feel like I haven't been doing anything productive lately."

"I'm the same," Brock said. "I want to stay out here for a while longer, so I may have to see if I can find some sort of doctoring work to keep me busy. Although, going out to catch some more Pokémon doesn't sound bad either."

Ash remained on the edge of the conversation for once, keeping attentive to it but uninvolved.

When they docked on Melemele, the group headed to the white and blue Police Station, emblazoned by a golden star above the canopied door.

Whence outside, they were met with Jessie and James' new commanding officer – _not _Officer Jenny – who explained that only Ash was allowed in alongside Jessie and James themselves, and Meowth. Everyone clustered around him to give their support, some patting his shoulders, all providing words clearly meant as encouragement and reassurance. In the meantime, they decided to get some Malasadas – a spiteful move, Ash humorously thought, because he desperately wanted a Malasada too. He was quite hungry; his breakfast that morning had gone relatively untouched, a phenomenon Brock and Dawn hailed as a miracle blessed by Jirachi. He appreciated the gesture because it was all to lighten his mood.

The interior of the police station reeked of coffee – emanating from the mugs stationed dutifully atop slightly worn wooden desks – intertwined with the blended scent of musky files that poked out of ajar drawers and ink. It was cold within, but it wasn't because of the temperature. Rather, the weighty atmosphere enforced by the serious, lawful nature of the building seemed to emit a certain chill.

Sitting in the waiting room alone was excruciating for Ash. Without his friends' distracting conversation as background noise, only the repetitive buzzing of an overworked computer and the hushed, drab muttering of some officers – conversations he didn't want to eavesdrop on – all he could do was think.

The longer Ash waited, the more the realisation that he was moments from confronting the benefactor of his suffering, albeit over a video call, performed a Leech Life on his confidence and resolve. The nervousness he felt seemed to amplify tenfold per second that crept by. Dashing out of the doors sounded like a suitable solution, a blissful relief, but Ash remained still, rigidly so. He had to do this. Thus far, he had confronted everything else about the ordeal – Serena via Poké-Vision, Clemont's arrival, the dreams, the memories – and there was nothing different this time. Moreover, by facing Oak and witnessing any retribution, there was the possibility that justice would prevail, that everything would finally be put behind him. By doing it, he could finally move on. He had to take part, if only for clarity.

One other thing on his mind, however, was his talk with Samson the night before. He had explained how Oak's trial was going ahead, and that Samson should attend, but all Samson had said was 'Is that so?' and wandered off. It was a mystery.

"Ash, we're ready," Jessie announced stoically, ten tedious minutes later.

Ash followed Jessie along a hallway and into the room at the end. The room was set up like any other office with the addition of a large monitor placed on the wall to his right and a couple of chairs situated opposite. They looked somewhat out of place in the building given its brick flooring and wooden décor. It was clearly a make-shift set-up.

"Alright, Ash. This situation is slightly unusual, but what we're going to do is connect you to the courtroom monitor just as the case is about to begin. From there, just remain quiet until you are spoken to," Officer Jenny explained, gesturing him to the centre seat.

"Got it. Thank you," Ash said. His voice wavered, a manifestation of his inner turmoil. He couldn't imagine a time he had been so nervous before. Not when he was battling in his first Pokémon battle nor against Alain in the Pokémon League, not even when Serena had kissed him. It was the first time he had felt such discomfort.

James patted his shoulder. "You'll be fine, Ash."

"Heh, ain't that the truth!" Meowth added.

"Thanks," Ash said, and he took his seat.

A few more minutes of waiting followed. Ash could feel the tension in the room as if it were a tangible entity sitting alongside him. An enemy. He tried to keep himself composed, taking deep breaths every few moments, stretching his arms and rolling his neck.

"Here we go," Officer Jenny said, and Ash sat up straighter than a motionless Sudowoodo. He had felt awful yet kept relatively calm thus far, but when the screen blipped on and the court room's wooden décor came into view, every ounce of his composure fled his body and his heart kicked into overdrive – he physically felt each beat, though it made him feel somewhat hollow.

Through the television, Ash could see the whole courtroom: the wooden panelled walls, the Judge, the lawyers, the audience at the back of the room. In the audience, he recognised a few familiar faces: Lance, the current Champion of Kanto, Professor Elm, Professor Rowan, Blue – who looked incredibly uncomfortable – and his mother. His mother was emotionally watching him. Only him. Her shoulders were drawn in, one hand placed near her heart. Ash was comforted by the sight, somewhat calmed too, as if Delia's spectral form was hugging him around the shoulders at that very moment, whispering soothing words to him. Mothers had the calming presence, that ability to soothe even the most troubled soul. Suddenly, out of nowhere, and for the first time in a while, Ash wished his father were present, too.

Then, Ash saw Samuel Oak sat at the front of the room, whose attention was also focused solely on him. His mother's comforting aura vanished, usurped by a sudden recollection. Seeing Oak made everything return at once: arriving home as joyous – and unknowing – as Bonnie, stumbling onto that suspicious scene, having everyone berate him, and… having Serena admit their kiss meant nothing. Re-absorbing the events that had killed his personality and happiness for a short while felt like he received a direct Sacred Sword to the heart. It hurt, but now it was tolerable. Ash knew he had people he could trust, new, true friends, and older ones that were loyal. He didn't feel alone this time. That's why, despite the instinctive desire to run, Ash remained seated.

The Judge began speaking.

* * *

Red entered the courthouse earlier than most people that morning, stealthy as a spy. When he arrived the only other person present in the echoey courtroom was Lance. Thus far, Delia had done all of the communicating with the Kanto Champion leading to that day, and she hadn't explained much of the bizarre situation. That had made Red feel bad. Lance was the Champion, after all. He deserved to know the truth behind the goings-on with Oak.

So, Delia had set up a meeting that morning. Before the trial began, Red explained a shortened version of the truth because of time constraints via a notepad, similar to his prior conversation with Oak. Besides acting shocked at discovering Red was alive, Lance had absorbed the information professionally. He understood and even recommended cancelling the trial. But Red didn't want that. And Lance accepted that. Before he headed off to his seat in the audience, Lance asked Red to do all he could to figure out the identity of those mysterious people. That, he was already keen to do.

Red remained out of sight as the Judge, lawyers, and spectators began arriving because he knew some people would recognise him – such as Mr Pokémon, one of his and Oak's good friends sat in the front row – and because he didn't know who could be there. What mysterious people could be there. He was being cautious.

Currently, the setting up of the call to Alola, to Ash, was underway. Hidden in the corridor in which the Judge entered from Red was contemplating the whole affair. He didn't know whether or not to call the whole situation a farce. After all, he knew the truth, and he suspected how Oak would act. Given the stature of the lawyers in his entourage, he gathered Oak would put up a fight against being locked up. Of course, he would. He had done everything to protect Ash, after all. He couldn't back down now. All Red was wondering was how Oak was to wriggle free of the rope he and Delia had unknowingly, regretfully, trapped him in.

"Ok, I think we are all set up here," a voice said, stealing Red's attention. The room quietened down; Red could see the Judge's hand in the air.

"We shall begin momentarily," the Judge said. "First, however, I must address a certain matter. The monitor has been set up to contact the victim of the case, by our request. Due to the falsified publication and belief of the supposed victim's death, and our late discovery of the true matter at hand, we must confirm their status. Court Clerk if you'd please."

A button was pressed, and the ringing of a call ensued. It only rang twice before the call connected. The large screen fleetingly flickered and a collective gasp, followed by loud mumbles filled the room as the picture of a very much alive Ash Ketchum appeared on the screen. Red assumed, at least; he couldn't see much by the angle at which he stood, but Delia's emotional expression told him everything he needed to know.

But Delia wasn't the one that got Red's attention the most. It was Professor Oak. He was crying. The moment the screen had turned on, Red spotted the man's stoic expression falter and tears brim the underneath of his eyes. Red supposed it was only natural. He hadn't seen Ash in so long, and with the knowledge of how much he had hurt him, someone he cared so much for… Red imagined he felt terrible.

Strangely, the way Oak carried himself as he cried made Red feel alarmed. The way the lawyers looked surprised did, too.

"Mr Ketchum, can you hear me?" The Judge asked.

"Yes," Ash answered. There was a little whisper off-screen. "Y-Yes, your honour," Ash amended.

"Alright," the Judge said, and turned to the room. "Order in the court."

Promptly, the whispering concerning Ash's status ceased. But all of the attention remained on him.

"Is everybody present?" the Judge asked, followed by confirmation from each party. "Alright. We shall begin."

Everybody swore an oath to Arceus, and the trial got underway. First, everyone was forced to listen to the charges against Oak. It sounded awful in such a long list: blackmail, career sabotage, illegal distribution of Pokémon, assault via bodily harm… Red could never imagine the gentle Professor committing any such crimes. But some of it was true. Red should have been internally conflicted since Oak had acted unlawfully to save his son, but he didn't class his acts as illegal no matter how much he should have. The matter of career sabotage was why Red didn't request somebody like Clemont or Serena to join. Even if they had been blackmailed and hypnotised, he couldn't put them through a trial.

The first ones up to speak, as per the procedure, were the prosecutors. They raised the falsification of Ash's death as proof that Oak was covering his tracks, where actually, it had been to protect Ash. They spoke of how Ash's Pokémon were in fact in the possession of some of his old friends, likely against their will. They spoke about Ritchie, who was still hospitalised. Red knew the mysterious people did it. It was hard, sitting through everything, listening to Oak be criminalised for his self-sacrifice. But what was even harder was hearing Ash speaking on the matter when he was asked for testimony as a witness and the victim. It only occurred to him, at that moment, that they should have told Ash the truth beforehand.

"I… can't say much for the giving away of my Pokémon, but it was clear that Mr Oak tried to sabotage my career as a Pokémon Trainer," Ash spoke stiffly, having been asked for any further evidence.

"And do you know the reason for this?"

"I… I believe it is because he wanted to use me as a subject for research," Ash explained, and Red cursed himself even further. If Ash knew the truth, he really could have helped them out. They had to tell him immediately after the trial.

"Thank you. Are there any further witnesses?"

"Indeed, there are. Mr Ketchum, could you ask your companions forwards?"

Red watched as Ash looked off-screen. A second later, Jessie and James sat down on the seats either side of him, looking incredibly nervous. Another gasp filled the room as they were asked for their full names, probably people recognising them from wanted posters. Lance, however, quelled the chatter by stating he asked for them himself. Following the commotion, Jessie and James repeated everything Red already knew.

"We were on our way to greet Ash after his journey through Kalos when we spotted Professor Oak cornering Ash and berating him. He even withheld his Pokémon from him when Ash asked to have them so he could leave. Due to the following attack on Pallet Town, we were unable to see anything more," James replied quite expertly after Jessie had rather roguishly said they saw Oak confronting Ash.

"Thank you."

Having heard two convincing witness testimonies, and as the judge motioned for the defence to state their argument, Red felt awful for Oak. They should be protecting him, not worsening the situation. He shook his head; there was nothing they could do about it, so he focussed on the defence's argument. However, what he saw when he looked to their area made him freeze. It was Oak who was stood up, tears still dripping from his eyes.

"Mr Oak, please be seated," the Judge said calmly.

"Oak sit down!" the lawyers were hissing, pulling on his clothes.

But Oak ignored everyone and said one thing that made the rest of the proceedings feel like a complete blur to Red.

"I would like to change my plea to guilty. I am guilty of the aforementioned crimes."

Right away, the room descended into chaos. It took the Judge five minutes to calm it down. Red, however, hadn't shouted nor made a single noise. As the Judge confirmed the change of plea and began collating the information to issue a sentence, he merely attempted to comprehend where the change of heart had come from. The most likely scenario was that he hadn't wanted to plead 'not guilty' in the first place but had been persuaded to do so. But what had made him change his mind?

The answer came to him almost immediately. It was seeing Ash that must have done it. It was seeing Ash again that had made him make another self-sacrificing choice. It was all because of Ash that Oak did everything.

The trial ended an hour after Oak's sudden reversal, with a sentence given for his jailing. By the second hour, a news article rumouring Oak's arrest had already blown up the internet, garnering more comments of people being shocked and devastated fans than necessary. Luckily, it wasn't leaked that Ash was alive. Oak's sacrifice wasn't for nothing.

Now, though, after he contemplated Oak for a while, the only concern filling Red's mind was finally giving Ash the truth he deserved. And that was exactly what Delia was currently doing.

"Hi, Mum," Red heard from around the corner of a wall he hid behind. It was Ash. "What in Arceus' name happened earlier?"

"I…I think you might understand a bit better after you hear me out. But be prepared. It is a lot to take in."

"Ok. What do you need to tell me?"

And Delia began explaining everything.

* * *

Ash's world had already fallen apart once: a month ago when everyone had decided that he wasn't good enough to carry on his dream. When those he trusted most and proudly called his friends made him feel like the weakest Weedle of a nest. When everything he believed was proved false. But he was recovering. He had met new people and come to terms with the fact that it had happened. He had accepted it.

But now, following the long-awaited conversation with his mother about her essential revelation, Ash's freshly constructed world had fallen apart again. He relived the feelings of that hurtful night. Once more, everything he had accepted had been false: Professor Oak hadn't wanted to use him as a lab rat nor had he hurt Bonnie or Ritchie; a number of his beloved friends and Pokémon hadn't thought he was useless but had been forced to act as such; and Serena… Serena wasn't in love with Calem.

Much like his world and beliefs, and the reality he had scrambled to accept, Ash's emotions had shattered into fragments, and his current state was the remains, laid out on a foundation of new truths. Professor Oak had committed his unlawful actions, everything, including blackmail and hypnosis, to save him rather than hurt him. His friends and Pokémon had mostly been subjugated to Oak's blackmail and further intimidated by a separate party. They had been used. Serena… Serena had been hypnotised into believing she loved Calem. She didn't love him. She, too, had been used. And every convoluted action had been in an effort to _save_ him. Before the court case, Ash had thought his old situation had been difficult to absorb, but this new bombardment of contradictory revelations was a whole new level of impossibility.

After the trial, Ash had been shaky from the tension of it and perplexed as to why Oak so readily confessed. But after receiving the information from his mother, Ash had left the police station in oblivion. He vaguely recalled spotting his friends and smelling the freshly baked whiff of Malasadas, then hearing muffled words. Everything else was a blur. What he did know was that he ignored them completely. Instead, he wandered down the street without a destination. He entered an endless maze in his mind instead, trying to comprehend everything, at least something.

He had regained a semi-consciousness at the border of Hau'oli City, only for a moment to decide where to go. Recalling how Lillie mentioned using the place as a hide-away whenever she had to think, Ash headed for Kāla'e Bay. He desperately needed to think in peace.

That was where he sat now, beneath the palm tree of the bay, his hand massaging Pikachu's head, mulling over everything in the aftermath as he watched one single Bagon repeatedly leap from the clifftop. He was thinking hard about it all, slowly reattaching the fragments of the real story. Trying to fix himself.

After an entire afternoon alone – the sun was already beginning to set – Ash had come to terms with Professor Oak's plot. The real one, in which Oak endeavoured to save him from whomever it was that was after him. He had accepted that, and also how necessary Oak's outlandish-seeming actions truly were. Ash knew he was probably the only who would realise just how right Oak had been: if Oak hadn't acted as he had, there was no chance, not even in the Mirror World in Reflection Cave, that he'd give up being a Pokémon Trainer.

While Ash now understood everything, more questions were raised, too. Why had Oak accepted his jail sentence so readily if he aimed to save him? Who was after him? He had tried to think of who the mysterious people could be for a short while. The only connection he could make to mysterious individuals was the people from Jessie and James' story, and that was his only conclusion. But there couldn't possibly be a connection there.

_Could there…?_ Ash wondered.

In terms of his friends and their actions in response to the blackmail, Ash was conflicted. With Misty, May, and Drew he was certain that he could forgive them because they had acted to save him, too. Recalling his brief hateful actions towards them made him berate himself, but he was sure they could make up. Bonnie was undoubtedly in the clear; she was only a young girl. The others… he didn't know how to respond. He kept thinking that, if he were in their shoes, if he had been blackmailed and threatened, he wouldn't have succumbed to it. Despite his reputation being ruined, he would have stuck with his friends through even the Distortion World and back. They hadn't. He didn't know if he was being pedantic, but… he had been hurt. Terribly, and stitches were only so strong.

Then there were those that had acted on their true feelings that day… They were more fortuitous acquaintances, but for them, he didn't think he could muster much benevolence.

Finally, there was Serena, the girl that had once been rooted in his head firmer than a Tangela's Ingrain, and the cause of his boundless happiness. She had since become a symbol of pain and sadness because of her words. Ash had loved her, and that had caused her to hurt him the most. But none of it had been true. It had all been a lie imposed by hypnosis. Her words weren't her true feelings; her true feelings were something else entirely. Maybe she loved him. Maybe there was the possibility that their kiss had truly meant more. But Ash didn't think either alternative held a high probability, not with someone like him. He didn't know when he started thinking that.

Ash was certain he could forgive Serena. No, he _would_ forgive her. He _had_. It wasn't her fault she had been hypnotised. Even if it hadn't been hypnosis he probably would have – he still loved her too much. He just wanted to go back to the way they were beforehand, just as he wanted to with everyone else.

Except… Ash didn't feel he and Serena could ever be the same as before. He should have felt happy to discover that Serena had been hypnotised the whole time and that she meant none of what she said, elated, in love again. But… Ash felt none of that. All he felt was hollow. Imagining Serena's bright smile wasn't enough to rouse his mood; thinking of their kiss didn't make him feel blissful or like he had the Levitate ability. It was just hollow. Empty. Emotionless. Ash still loved Serena. She was his first love, after all. He knew he always would. But the love he now held for her was no longer yearning. It was a love situated in the past, in his memory. A love that had been tarnished by the ordeal. It was broken, fractured. They were broken. _He_ was broken. His heart was broken.

Their relationship could never be the same again.

That thought was far too painful to bear. For the first time in a little while, Ash tilted his head down and cried. Suddenly, he didn't feel hollow anymore. He was hurt. The realisation that his first love had been so ruthlessly decimated, even accidentally, was agonising as if his heart had been slashed clean in two. The love he still held for her was agonising. It was all agonising. The whole situation was agonising. Ash realised he hadn't yet come to terms with any of it.

A little while later, Ash suddenly heard a voice. "I…I thought I might find you here."

Forgetting about his telling tears, Ash lifted his head quickly. Lillie stood a few paces away, and Ash's whole chest squeezed blissfully – his heart stopped; his breath disappeared – when his eyes found her, her pretty face and slim figure. The moon had risen now. Only a little bit, but it was enough to make Lillie look like an angel; her snowy skin seemed to glow the colour of the moonlight, and her beautiful long blonde hair shone like a halo amidst the darkening night. Lillie's emerald eyes, soft and full of concern, sparkled like a silent lake, and her careful, shy smile made Ash's head go blank and warmth permeated his chest. Lillie looked beautiful; Ash was mesmerised.

Why, at that moment, Lillie looked so heavenly, Ash didn't know. He knew she was beautiful; he had been around her for a month now, and it was obvious to see. He even found her adorable. But why then, of all times, did she look even more stunning?

"Y-You found me," Ash stuttered for once, having to lightly shake his head to clear his admiring stupor.

"Are you alright, Ash? Everyone is worried…" Lillie asked, elegantly walking closer. She stopped a few steps away, a gasp leaving her lips. She was quickly sitting beside him. "W-Were you crying, Ash?"

"Ah… Yeah…" Ash muttered, remembering, wiping his face with his forearms. "Yeah, only a little. It's not a big deal. I've just had a hard time dealing with this whole situation today. Plus, my Mum told me a bunch of new stuff that just makes everything even more complicated."

"D-Do you want to talk about it?"

"I… That might help…" Ash said, taking a deep breath. "Apparently, everything that happened – that I believed to be people betraying me – was actually a plan to save me."

"R-Really?" Lillie asked.

"Yep! Can you believe that?"

"I… No…"

"I… needed some time to myself to figure things out. But… thank you for caring, Lillie, and for coming to find me, too. It really means a lot. How'd you know I was here?"

"I-It's ok, Ash. It seemed like you wanted some time alone after leaving the police station, and I believe I said I came here for similar reasons when I showed you this bay."

"Yeah, that's why I came here actually. It's really peaceful, and it… gave me a good amount of time to think," Ash said. He sat back, propping himself upright by placing his hands out behind him and looked up at the sky.

"A-Are you doing ok, now? Did you come to terms with everything?"

"No. Not entirely," Ash said, amending his first answer so not to make Lillie worry too much. "But it takes time. I'll get there."

"…How are you so strong, Ash?" Lillie suddenly asked after a brief pause.

"Huh? I'm… not strong," Ash answered.

"But you are!" Lillie said passionately, her voice rising uncharacteristically. So much so, it made Ash look down at her again. "You've been through so much, yet you're still smiling when you're talking to me right now and you've accepted that you haven't yet come to terms with it! You aren't in denial, and you aren't panicking! After hearing bad results from Professor Burnet yesterday, I panicked, and I didn't feel like I could smile at all, not until you saved me by offering me the Pokémon Egg! You've fought through this entire situation on your own for so long… That, to me, makes you strong…" Lillie trailed off at the end, her voice losing its passionate vigour.

"I… haven't been alone. I've had all of you to help me through it. I've had you Lillie, and Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, Hau, Sophocles… Brock, Dawn, Clemont… Without you guys, I'd have had a much harder time. I may seem strong, but that's not always true. I'm human. We can fight on our own and get by but having people to help us when we're down is really important."

"Ash…" Lillie muttered, her voice only a breeze.

"So, thank you, Lillie. For being there for me through all of this, for caring. It means everything to me," Ash said.

"I-It's ok, Ash. T-Thank you for being there for me, too. You've helped me so much already…"

"No worries," Ash said, and they shared a small smile between them. A long silence followed, during which they simply sat beside one another, comfortably enjoying the gentle evening breeze.


	34. Chapter 33: A Headstrong Addition

Chapter 33:

A Headstrong Addition

"Shall we head back soon?" Lillie asked after a long while, readjusting her signature wide-rimmed sunhat. Seeing as they had to voyage back to Akala with Kukui and the others, and it was already becoming dark, they had to if they didn't want to be left behind.

"Yeah," Ash said, shuffling to his feet. "I can't believe how late it's gotten. I guess I have been here a while." Despite the productive few hours lingering on the bay, Ash's emotions remained in confused disrepair, but he was ok with that. It would take a while to truly accept everything all over again. This time, however, Ash was up for the challenge. Whatever effect it may have on him, he would fight against it. He didn't want to fall into such a depressed state yet again.

It only occurred to Ash as he realised how late it had become – he didn't know the exact time, he shouldn't have left Rotom on Akala – that they had accommodated him quite favourably with the timing of Oak's trial. It had been mid-day for him, so it must have been mid-night in Kanto. They must have desperately wanted him there.

"Yes, it has become quite late," Lillie said.

As Ash helped Lillie to her feet, a loud crash echoed around the peaceful bay. For the first time in a few hours, the Bagon had descended like a rocket head-first onto the nearby concrete, deepening the already indented crater.

Lillie flinched at the sudden impact, holding a hand to her heart. "A Bagon? It scared me…"

"Hmm. I think we've seen it before," Ash said.

"Oh, one of that group we saw the last time we came."

"Yeah. It's still going with that crazy training…"

"It's by itself?"

"I think so…"

"That's a little sad…" Lillie said caringly.

Finding something heart-moving about her tone, Ash glanced at the Bagon. "Should we check on it?"

Lillie responded with a cute little hum, and they set off towards the Bagon. Since he had seen and mingled among Bagon before, Ash was cautious in his approach, remembering how flighty and wild some of the small dragons could be. As Ash expected, the Bagon lashed out the minute it noticed them nearing. It lashed out at Lillie with what looked to be Headbutt; because of her inexperience, her guard was down, and Ash hadn't had the time to warn her.

"Watch out!" Ash cried, an overwhelming desire to protect Lillie hitting him harder than any such desire before. He quickly grasped Lillie's hand and gently pulling her back. Simultaneously, he stepped forwards, twisting around Lillie so his back faced the Bagon. Due to the jerk of Ash's movements, Lillie didn't seem to see the Bagon clatter into his back.

Ash grunted with pain – the hit stung, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. Being electrocuted by Pikachu on numerous occasions was much worse. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, thank you," Lillie replied, squeezing his hand.

Squeezing back and letting go a few seconds later, Ash eyed the Bagon, which looked irate: it was stomping its small feet and glaring ferociously at them, its fangs bared.

"I-It looks angry…" Lillie muttered, sounding a little scared. Naturally so, Ash thought, given her struggles with even calm Pokémon.

"I think the group before were trying to evolve; they jump off cliffs when preparing to. If all the others left without it, they must have already evolved. This one is probably angry because it hasn't yet…"

"I see… So, it was basically abandoned…"

Something about Lillie's phrasing made Ash feel some strange empathy towards the Bagon. Giving a glance Lillie's way, Ash walked forwards, intent on talking with it. His compassion was back; helping it just seemed the normal thing to do.

However, when Ash stepped too close, the Bagon's head dipped and shone white. Ash was lucky that his sparring with Infernape had paid off because if not for his trained reaction time, the rocketing Headbutt would have hit him in the face. As comical as Pikachu may have found it, Ash wasn't keen on a broken nose. Fortunately, he reacted fast enough to avoid it. But that didn't stop the second Headbutt assailing him from behind. As if a second extension of himself, Pikachu blocked the Headbutt with Iron Tail, protecting Ash's back. A rampaging barrage ensued afterwards.

"Bagon, calm down!" Ash called out, dodging another angered attack. He ducked left, right, even jumped while calling out for it to stop, but nothing worked.

Dodging was getting him nowhere, so Ash altered his method. He tried grabbing Bagon, only to take a firm hit to the jaw, which stung just as much as his back did. He attempted having Bagon daze itself by Headbutting the wall after a feint, but Bagon only chipped a hole in the rock, unfazed. Nothing worked, not even his foolhardy attempt to play matador, which only egged the Bagon to up the ferocity of its attacks.

The enraged Pokémon was relentless, so Ash ducked underneath a high-flying Headbutt and pulled out Rockruff's Pokéball. If the Bagon wanted to attack, he'd give him an opponent who could fight back. And with Rockruff out, who was a Rock-Type, that pesky, powerful Headbutt wouldn't be as effective.

However, Ash's plan fell apart the moment the Bagon hit Rockruff with Headbutt. Despite the advantage of type, the Headbutt did a lot more damage than he anticipated and hoped it would. Grimacing but also feeling quite impressed with Bagon's display, Ash told Rockruff to use Thunder Fang to try and paralyse Bagon – it wasn't very effective and would render him immobile without much injury, which he wanted. Unfortunately, running with his so-far poor luck with status conditions, the side effect didn't work. The Bagon countered quickly with Headbutt, following up with a Dragon Breath that left Rockruff paralysed instead.

Ash, not at all surprised with his unlucky streak, was slightly worried now. The Bagon was strong, and it was still gunning for him despite Rockruff's presence; he still had to dodge Headbutts as much as Rockruff did. It was as Rockruff took another hit that Ash realised he wasn't battling very well. He didn't know if his overactive subconscious and his stormy thoughts on the new revelation placed a dampener on his skills, but he definitely wasn't himself. Usually, he'd have Rockruff dodging everything with his predictions. But because of Ash's mentality, Rockruff was severely at a disadvantage.

"Rock Throw," Ash told Rockruff, but the Bagon's head may as well have been its own Iron-Type. The Headbutt smashed through the rocks and into Rockruff, and a powerful Bite followed.

The Bagon landed another Bite as Ash attempted to predict its movements, but he couldn't do it, not with so many thoughts over-flowing in his head. Rockruff couldn't dodge it of his own accord either due to being paralysed. Luckily, Rockruff was able to hit with Thunder Fang in retaliation. Disappointingly, Bagon flew in with Headbutt, followed up with Dragon Breath, and that combo left Rockruff knocked out on the floor.

Suddenly, Ash was the target again.

"Oh, come on!" Ash shouted, feeling incredibly tired after his day.

Almost fed-up with the battle because Bagon nearly made him look like a bobble-head several times, Ash reaching into his bag and withdrew an empty Pokéball. It was a spur of the moment decision, his last resort, the only way he could think to stop the rampaging Bagon without hurting it. He didn't want to send out Litten for the risk of injuring him because of his poor battling.

After Ash dodged another Headbutt, he tossed the Pokéball at Bagon. It bounced off its head and Bagon was pulled inside. Unfortunately, it shook only once before Bagon leapt out even angrier than before and slammed into Ash's chest with Headbutt, leaving him groaning. But Ash tried again. And again. And again. It took a few minutes of dodging and tossing but when Bagon's Pokéball snapped shut – he had dived on it to stop it bursting open as if that would do anything productive – Ash flopped to the floor and glanced towards Lillie, whose cheeks were lifted slightly, amusement in her expression.

"That…was tiring…" Ash panted, beginning to feel the hits he sustained ache.

"Is that how Pokémon Trainers catch Pokémon in the wild?" Lillie asked.

"Yeah, something like that. You battle them to weaken 'em, then throw a Pokéball. Simple really. Though, there's usually a bit more Pokémon battling and less trainer-using-himself-as-a-punching-bag. I'm a little off my game today…"

Lillie giggled. "That's understandable. Although, I thought you were great. You've got another Pokémon for your team now."

"Yep, seems that way!" Ash said, stretching a little bit. "But uhh… Can we go back now? I'll check on Bagon later 'cause… I'm beat…" he said, and as Lillie laughed again, he wondered what in Arceus' name he had just gotten himself into by catching the Bagon.

* * *

"Come here, Ash," Mallow softly said, in that comforting way she consoled any of the group whenever they were emotional. Rather than Ash moving to her, she scooted across the long settee and hugged him in a slightly awkward way given their seated positions, sympathy dancing across her expression.

It was nearing midnight in Alola. Having been safely returned to the Poké-Center they were staying at courtesy of Kukui's boat and the tranquil sea, the group had arrived to find a pacing Kiawe, Mallow twirling her hair faster than a gyrating Spinda, and Lana sat stiffly in the corner. The moment Ash stepped through the door, they bombarded him with questions. Ash calmly sat everyone down and explained the goings-on that day.

Honestly, if Lillie were in his position, she knew she'd have been overwhelmed. If any of her friends discovered her shielded past and relentlessly asked questions, she may have even broken down. To give Ash the relief of one less interrogator, Lillie remained quiet throughout the explanation.

When Ash finally concluded his story, everybody reacted in different ways. Mallow was the first to react with her hug. It was a beautiful gesture for the much-needed comfort she assumed Ash needed, but Mallow hugging Ash made some strange, eerie feeling stir within Lillie. It was a mix of feelings she didn't like. Discomfort in her heart and stomach, a pervasive sadness throughout her whole body. To ignore it, she clutched the edge of her dress while looking anywhere but towards the caring display.

Lana, Kiawe, and Hau all reacted as naturally as one might expect. They remained silent, probably absorbing the news; their expressions were thoughtful yet sombre. Hau was fidgety, Kiawe leant forwards on the table, resting his hands on his chin thoughtfully. In Lana's case, however, Lillie saw something else in her expression: curiosity. It looked as if Lana knew something they didn't, or she suspected something.

Dawn and Clemont, on the other hand, looked devastated. They said nothing either. It was probably harder on them than it was the Alolan group since they were old friends of some of the people involved. Jessie was as enraged as the earlier Bagon, muttering what Lillie assumed were swear words under her breath; James and their Meowth had this air of understanding around them until Ash mentioned Oak's plan to protect him from some mysterious people. The trio's expressions paled faster than visibly possible. A quick flick of his eyes towards them by Ash, a nod, and a gasp from James seemed to indicate some invisible confirmation of whatever it was they had suspected. It made Lillie wonder if there was more, still, to this situation.

It made her wonder how much more Ash was suffering.

Brock, who had a look of pure regret chiselled into his expression, which had only been stony when speaking of the past previously, was the first one to properly talk after Mallow's comforting words. His voice was choked with emotion.

"I don't believe it…" Brock said. He pinched the bridge of his nose, wiping at his eyes. "I seriously don't believe it… I feel like an idiot, I feel awful… I stormed in there the moment I got home and I… I shouted at everyone. I even pinned Oak against the wall. I threatened to hurt him…"

"You weren't to know, Brock," Kiawe said.

"Yeah. You did it for Ash's sake. Plus, your arrival was what gave me the courage to find Delia," Clemont added.

"I suppose, but… some of the things I said…" Brock muttered. A beat later, he shook his head. "No, sorry. This isn't about me. Ash, how're you holding up?"

"Honestly…? I feel like an over-charged Electrode right now. I've got so much going on in my head that I could explode at any moment. I seriously don't know what to think," Ash answered. "It feels good to get it off my chest at least."

"I'll bet!" Hau finally blew up. "Jeez, I'd be screaming like an idiot if I was goin' through this!"

"I imagine you're overwhelmed," Dawn said. "That has to be tough to deal with."

"Not to mention stressful," Lana added.

"Yeah, that doesn't really help," Ash said. He smiled as he criticised their words; he was more amused than bothered. "It's a lot, yeah. Finding out my friends didn't decide I was worthless feels better than you can imagine, but I believed everything they said for a whole month… I don't know what to think. I… I just don't want it to control everything I do from now on as it did with my battling a bit earlier. As it did last time… I want to be able to carry on without being too heavily affected."

"That's probably what you should focus on for now," Jessie said uncharacteristically. Ash nodded at her gratefully.

"Yeah, I think I will."

"In that case, what's next, Ash?" Mallow asked kindly.

"Well," Ash said, breathing out, "I've just caught a Bagon for my team, and he's not exactly the most cooperative Pokémon ever, so there's that. Next up on my Island Challenge is Kiawe's. What better way to get back to normal than Pokémon training, right?"

"That's so like you, Ash," Brock said fondly.

"Plus," Clemont added, "I finished the bracelets yesterday. When you battle with Pikachu next, we can test them out."

"Awesome. Thanks, Clemont," Ash said.

"What bracelets are they?" Hau asked.

"Oh, just a little side project I've got going on," Ash answered, and turned to Brock. "So… You pinned Oak to the wall?"

"Ah… That wasn't one of my finest moments…"

"You mean like your drying pan?"

"Hah!" Brock laughed; it was an odd sound given the glum atmosphere. It seemed it was an inside joke between him and Ash alone. "No, I think you'll find that was one of my best moments. The ingenuity was astounding."

As the tone of the conversation shifted to a more jovial note, Lillie drifted away from it, into her thoughts. While Ash had been talking about his situation, a big thought occurred to her. Ash had decided to tell people, to let them in on the goings-on inside his heart. He was brave enough to explain it all. He was strong enough to do it. Lillie wanted to be like that. She wanted to tell somebody, to have someone to rely on, to talk to when things got tough. And… she wanted that person to be Ash. She wanted to tell Ash everything. The only questions were when would she tell him, and would she be able to?

There was one more thing, too. She had to figure out what was going on with her emotions concerning Ash recently.

* * *

Now that Oak's trial was over, the shocking verdict settled upon the prior evening, Red and Delia had a lot to do. They were sat around the kitchen table opposite one another, a sheet of roughly jotted notations placed between them.

The idea for creating a list of their duties came to Red after the trial. He had been lying awake in bed hours after Delia, who was cuddled up to his side, had drifted to sleep. Like an insomniac, Red had stared up at the ceiling, absently brushed his hand comfortingly over Delia's shoulder as he thought. The night's silence provided a tranquil atmosphere for him to walk himself through everything he remembered of the situation multiple times over, and that allowed him to compile as many different tasks as he could. Thankfully, he had a notepad close by to record his ideas.

The first task on their list was a job Red proposed and thought was essential: reclaiming the rest of Ash's wrongfully distributed Pokémon. The idea had originally occurred to him when Blue sent over Ash's Kalos Pokémon. It resurfaced during the trial when Oak's charges were read out and became a necessity after the trial when Red had overheard Ash's voice upon realising his Pokémon hadn't wronged him; it had been shaky, seized by emotion. That morning, Delia had created a rough schedule for them to follow to gather Ash's Pokémon as quickly as possible, one he amended due to his familiarity with every region.

That schedule also accommodated their second job: speaking with some of Ash's friends. Delia had suggested that one. To begin with, she had only thought to properly check-in with Misty, May, and Drew, and she proposed telling them Ash was alive but had quickly vetoed her own idea because she realised it was more likely to be leaked the more people who knew. Instead, she decided to meet with them and explain that they were forgiven, that she understood why they had done it. She wanted to thank them. Then, Delia had decided to check in with everyone else anyway because she was so caring. Plus, she wanted to understand why Iris and Cilan had gone along with the situation. Red agreed with her. He wanted to check on everyone too. Since it lined up with their first plan, it was perfect.

The third job on their agenda was Lance's suggestion: learning more about the mysterious people. In all, that was the most essential job on the list since they had wanted to kill their son, but it wasn't because Red already knew who they were. Oak confirmed that much when he had spoken with him. All Red had to do was gather further information and formulate a plan to stop them, because he knew their methods. Luckily, they very rarely assembled. But when they did it meant the members were entirely invested in their goal. When that was the case, they were incredibly dangerous. For now, though, with the falsifications of his and Ash's deaths in the public eye, he didn't have to move quickly. He couldn't help feeling the past was repeating itself.

Finally, his last job was a visit to Oak. To ask why he had taken the fall. To ask if he wanted any help. To thank him. It was the least he could do. Once again, the sacrifice he had made for their family was phenomenal. Secretly, Red wondered what he could do to have Oak released.

"Is that everything?" Delia asked.

"Hmm," Red mumbled, nodding. "I think so. Are we set, then?"

"Yep. I'll start packing some bags, you get your Charizard ready for some flying. It's been a long time since I've flown anywhere on-back of a Pokémon! I can't wait to experience it again!" Delia said, a childlike excitement lifting her already bright expression. "After all of this is done, we can head on over to Alola and see Ash!"

Red felt a sudden flit of panic assault his chest, like a sharp jolt of pain. The idea of venturing to Alola didn't settle right in his mind. It made him anxious and worried. It made him hesitant, and he told himself he didn't know what it meant, that the feeling was indecipherable. But that was a lie. Red knew why he felt so worried. It had been creeping up on him for a while now and seeing Ash the day prior had only worsened it. No matter how boundless his desire to do so was, Red was hesitant to see Ash face-to-face, in person. He was worried about what his reaction would be.

"…Actually, after all of that, I think it's time I do some damage control and contact a few people and let them know both Ash and I are alive. I've been so busy since getting back I haven't even thought to tell anyone. Especially…"

"Yes, that's probably the best thing to do," Delia said, apparently understanding who he meant. "In the meantime, I'll check-in with Yellow and see if she and Daisy want to come to Alola with us. Oh, Gary, Barry, and Paul, too. I'm sure they're still waiting patiently at the Oak's. Oh, I can only imagine how stressed Barry has made Blue."

"…I think I'll stay and catch up with you all later on. I need to meet someone first…" Red said, looking down at the floor. "There's so much to do…" he repeated.

The room fell silent for a moment. A little surprised, Red looked up at Delia, who was looking at him calculatingly. "…Right…" Delia said, slowly.

"…I'll get Charizard ready," Red said and left to the front yard.

Whence outside and rummaging through his Pokéballs to find Charizard's, Red released a heavy sigh. They had been so caught up in the idea of saving, protecting, and confirming that Ash was alive and healthy that he hadn't actually thought about seeing him in person. It was such a simple idea, one he felt excited about, but he couldn't shake the worry that Ash wouldn't accept him. He had been away for years. He had missed his birth, his first word, his first steps… He had missed everything. Could he really come back into his son's life now, of all times?

The way Delia reacted to his feeble attempts to delay seeing Ash… There was no doubt she suspected something was wrong. Red sighed again. For one of the first times in his life, he didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Another day done, huh?" Shauna said as she zipped up their tent for the night. After a pleasant evening sat around the campfire chatting and laughing because, finally, all felt right with the world, their group had parted to their tents for sleep.

"Yep, another day done," Serena said, slipping into her sleeping bag.

"Well done on that double battle today. We really showed those cocky kids!"

Serena laughed. "We did. I can't believe they recognised us, though."

"Are you serious? I've been recognised loads since our last contest. It was broadcasted all over the region, you know."

"I know, I know. It's just surprising is all."

"Well, get used to it. When one of us becomes the next Kalos Princess, we'll be recognised even more!" Shauna said.

"I won't lose," Serena responded, smiling.

Shauna reciprocated her smile and climbed into her sleeping bag. "How much further until we reach Route 14?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Serena answered. They had been travelling for a few days now and were finally nearing Route 14 and Ash's Goodra. Kalos turned out to be a lot larger than she had thought it was the first time she explored it. Being around the daily antics Ash seemed to attract had probably made it feel smaller than it was. She had had so much fun last time it had been a blur. "But I don't think it matters. We'll get there eventually."

"True, true. Don't you want to see Ash soon, though? I thought you, like, love him?" Shauna asked.

Serena felt a blush on her cheeks. She shyly averted her eyes from her friend. "D-Don't say it like that… It's embarrassing…"

"But it's true though, right?"

"Y-Yes…" Serena timidly answered, pulling her sleeping back up to cover her lips. "You're right. I desperately want to see him. But it's a bit more complicated than that. He's spent a month believing that I l-love someone else… His mother said she'd tell him the truth, but I'm still afraid of what it might mean…"

"I understand," Shauna said.

"I think that's part of the reason I came out here instead of going straight to Alola. To give him some time to understand everything… I don't know. Or am I just hesitant to see him even though I really want to…?"

"Oh, come on, girl. Stop overthinking it," Shauna said, giving Serena's forehead a light flick. Serena pouted, rubbing her forehead. "You love him, right? You're out here _for _him, right? Stop confusing everything. You'll see him when you see him, and you'll give him the best gift ever: his Pokémon back! There's nothing more to it."

Serena smiled. "You're right. Thank you, Shauna. I guess all I needed was a little bit of a pep talk."

"What're besties for? Now, when you see him, tell him right away or else I'll come in and steal him from you!"

"You'll what?!" Serena asked, sitting upright out of shock.

Shauna laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm not Miette. I actually have my eyes set on someone else…"

Serena gasped. "What?! Who?!"

"It's a secret!" Shauna said in a sing-song voice.

"No, you have to tell me!"

"Nope!"

"Shauna!"

* * *

**Hi!**

**As you can tell, this chapter is a little shorter than what I've been posting recently. It's a bit of setting up with the addition of Bagon to Ash's team! I've actually had the idea for Ash to catch a Bagon early on, and even hinted at it a little too. I hope you like it!**

**Just as a side note, I missed last week of uploading. That's kinda because I'm trying to get ahead on chapters for when my schedule changes. Just to allow me to keep posting frequently, you know?**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!**


	35. Chapter 34: Kiawe's Trial

Chapter 34:

Kiawe's Trial

It had been too long since Dawn had experienced lounging around with her female friends, chatting and gossiping about anything and everything without worrying about having her opinion judged. She had only known Lillie, Mallow, and Lana for a short while, but their company allowed her to once again experience that teenage delight.

"I haven't been able to do much battling or anything with my Pokémon since I started at my trial," Lana said, absently popping the bubbles her Popplio was making. "I'd like to do a bit more training."

"In that case, why don't we do that after we're done with our trial placements?" Mallow suggested. "We only have to wait until five people have challenged our trials before we can 'graduate'. Afterwards, we can do what we like!"

"That sounds like a plan," Lana said quietly, her natural state; Dawn had only recently discovered her joking and competitiveness, a side of her personality she only showed her friends, Mallow explained.

"I'll help too! I know all sorts of combination moves you can practice. I'd like to create a new routine, too," Dawn said.

"Maybe I can join in too, when my egg hatches," Lillie hesitantly said as if unsure if she was allowed.

"Aww, I hope so, Lillie!" Mallow said.

"Bagon, get back here!" Dawn suddenly heard Ash shout through the windows of her room. Simultaneously, she and the three other girls leaned to glimpse through the open window: Ash's new Bagon clattered into his jaw with Headbutt. Hau laughed, then Ash shouted, "Arghh! Bagon, I swear–"

"Jeez, he's at it again," Mallow said amusedly, flopping back onto the spare bed.

"He caught one stubborn Bagon," Dawn said.

"Tell me about it. He comes back inside with new bruises every day," Lana commented.

"I suppose that shows how committed he is," Lillie reasoned.

"Yep, that's the Ash I know… It's been a few days and he hasn't given up. I'm glad to see he hasn't let this whole situation consume him," Dawn said.

There was a short interlude of silence.

"…I don't want to bring down the mood because spending time with all of you like this, chatting, laughing… it's everything I've wanted. But do you think Ash is ok?" Lillie tentatively asked.

"I hope so," Mallow said, flipping over to lie on her front. "Can any of you imagine what he's going through? I mean, we've all probably been through some tough times, but having your friends do that, even if to protect you… And knowing somebody out there wants to hurt you… How hasn't he completely lost it? How is he still himself?"

Dawn smirked. "I don't think he's even realised it; all that floats around in that head of his is Pokémon. He's worse than a fanatic."

Mallow and Lana shared a light chorus of laughs and Lillie smiled in amusement too. Dawn was relieved; her goal was to lighten the situation a little bit.

"I'm serious, you know," Mallow said, smiling. "If I knew somebody was out to get me… I don't know how I'd be. I definitely wouldn't be able to act normal."

"I think I'd fair alright. After all, I know the secret to catching Kyogre. Nobody can touch me," Lana commented.

"Oh, shush you," Mallow jovially berated, tossing a pillow at Lana.

"To answer you honestly, I think it's because of all Ash has been through," Dawn said. "That, and who he is as a person."

"What do you mean?" Lillie asked quickly.

"We've explained a lot about our adventures to you all, but we've been through some tough situations too, Ash more than any of us. I think he's gotten used to danger because of it, he's used to being himself even during hard times. After how much his situation affected him, I imagine he's gotten even better at it. That was the first time I've known him to be that sad.

"You saw him for the first few days after the trial; he was all in his head. He didn't eat or say much, and his battling was poor. But he overcame it and now he's acting normal again. I don't think he's come to terms with everything, but he's doing better. That doesn't mean I'm not still worried about him. I really am. I agree with you, Mallow: I don't know how he's keeping it together," Dawn explained.

Especially, Dawn thought to herself, with everything that happened with Serena. Brock had held her, Clemont, and Ash back after the explanation the week before and asked Ash about her. Ash explained what happened with Serena and he hadn't even needed to elaborate on his feelings for Dawn to understand. That was hurting him the most. She didn't know how deep Ash's feelings for Serena had been because she knew multiple teens who said they're in love only for it to be fleeting. But Ash was completely broken by it. It must have been very real.

Mallow lay her head on the mattress and sighed. "I'm so worried…"

For a moment, Dawn frowned quizzically. She had noticed that Mallow acted differently around Ash a day or so after she arrived in Alola. Lately, their large group had looked equally as worried about Ash, so it wasn't exactly her worry that alerted Dawn to the possibility, but her actions. She hugged him immediately, and she was always rubbing his shoulders comfortingly, asking him about his wellbeing. It brought only one conclusion to her mind.

"Mallow, I've been wondering this for a few days now… Do you like Ash?"

Mallow groaned and puffed out her pink cheeks. She stuffed her face into the bed, so her reply was muffled. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes," Lana bluntly, humorously, replied.

Dawn didn't laugh this time. She kept her eyes on Mallow, her smile faltering a little bit. Dawn felt an abundance of sympathy for her. Mallow didn't know that Ash was – or had been, Dawn didn't truly know – in love with another girl. Somebody Mallow revered on Poké-Vision.

Dawn didn't know what to do. She couldn't outright unveil that Ash loved Serena without explaining the whole situation. Seeing as Ash had yet to explain himself, he must not want them to know. Dawn completely understood that: his love life was a private affair, especially concerning Serena. She, Brock, and Clemont only knew because Ash had confided in them to determine his feelings. Dawn couldn't just tell Mallow to give up, either. That wasn't right. She didn't know what to say. When Dawn looked up to reply, she saw both Lillie and Lana staring at her.

"That's a tough challenge you've set for yourself," Dawn decided to say. "When we were travelling together, he was denser than a Rhyperior's body– a big Rock Type from Sinnoh. I swear he had the Oblivious ability. I'm not sure what he's like now, but…"

"Is it really that bad?" Mallow asked dejectedly.

Dawn shrugged in response. "If he's the same, then yeah. Starting something with Ash will be… hard at the moment. And not just because of what's he's going through…"

"Seriously…?" Mallow muttered. "And I was planning to tell him soon…"

Strangely, Dawn spotted Lillie fidgeting slightly at that comment. It was quick, barely noticeable because she looked away quickly, stopping. But it was there. Dawn wondered why before Lana interrupted her thoughts.

"Dawn, _I've _been wondering something for a few days, too," she said. "Ash doesn't – he doesn't have a girlfriend, does he?"

"Huh?" Dawn answered quickly, wondering how Lana had come to such a conclusion. "No, he doesn't," Dawn said.

"Then, has he ever had a girlfriend?"

"Not that I know of, no."

"…Sorry. I was just curious. Mallow here hasn't even thought about that possibility. Can you image she asks him out and he's already got a girlfriend?"

"Ha, ha," Mallow said humourlessly. "That's a relief to know, though. He's had so many companions that I did wonder if he liked any of them."

That was the question Dawn was trying to avoid: does he like any of them. She couldn't tell Mallow yes because Ash didn't want to say anything, but she couldn't tell her no, either. That would only give her some hope that may very well be false. Silently, she cursed Ash's secrecy for putting her in such an awkward position. Thankfully, she didn't have to answer it.

There was one other thing on Dawn's mind. Why did Lillie look so distracted throughout the conversation? And why did she look relieved when she unveiled Ash didn't have a girlfriend?

* * *

"Turtonator, Flamethrower!" Kiawe commanded, punching like a practising martial artist. His large Pokémon fired one searing blast of flames towards Brock's Steelix. Without a call from Brock, Steelix slithered through the air, avoiding it.

"Stone Edge!" Brock countered, and his Steelix lurched forwards, slamming its sturdy head into the ground. A long trail of rocks exuding a luminous blue lustre stabbed through the earth towards Turtonator. When the trail reached its target, the stones altered their trajectory: they stabbed inwards at all directions, slamming into Turtonator's shell. The glow faded from the rocks, the dust settled, and Turtonator was revealed to be unable to battle.

"Phew," Kiawe breathed then sighed, kneeling beside his fallen Pokémon. "That was a good battle, Brock. I can see why you were once a Gym Leader."

"And I can see how you've passed the island challenge. You battled well; the only factor there was that I was able to hit Turtonator with more Super-Effective moves," Brock said.

"I see. Was there anything I could have done to protect myself on some of those occasions?" Kiawe asked, not looking at Brock.

"Hmm," Brock muttered, rubbing his chin.

"Could you have used Shell Trap to sort of negate some of the Stone Edge?" Ash asked from the side, where he, Clemont, and Hau was spectating.

"That's quite risky," Clemont interjected.

"Actually, it's a good idea. From what I've seen, Shell Trap is exceedingly powerful. Naturally, if hit by a powerful Stone Edge, the Shell Trap could cancel it out," Brock reasoned.

"I'll have to give that a try," Kiawe said, returning his Turtonator with some kind words. He moved over to the benches Ash, Hau, and Clemont were sat on and grabbed a drink. "Training with you all has been informative today. It's been a while since I've trained with so many people."

"Aww, yeah! It's much more fun that trainin' alone!" Hau said.

"I'd never have considered using Mud Shot and Double Slap to learn Mud-Slap if not for you guys," Clemont added.

"It's been fun, yeah," Ash added with a nod.

"Your Litten finally learned Bite this morning, right? How'd ya get him to learn the move so quickly?" Hau asked.

Before answering, Ash spotted Kiawe raise his head as if keeping highly attentive. "It's an easy move to learn, really; Rockruff learned it in a day and all he had to go off was my memory of it. After seeing it used so many times, you get used to it. Litten had Rockruff as an example, so it was even simpler. And he's been supercharged lately. Now, if only I could get Bagon to cooperate…" Ash said, sighing.

"You'll get there," Brock said.

"I do have a plan. It's a bit wild, but I think it'll work."

"Hah, awesome! Lemme watch?! Sounds like a blast!" Hau asked.

"Sure thing," Ash said. Then, he turned to Kiawe, who wore a distracted, contemplative expression. "Kiawe, I think I'm ready to take on your trial," Ash said. The past few days had been a struggle: his thoughts and emotions had been glass but completely volatile. One day he had been sad, the next confused, then sad again. It was difficult to deal with. However, there was one constant through it all: he was perfectly fine when training and battling. It was his escape. He hoped taking on a trial would take him a step closer to feeling ok again.

"Huh?" Kiawe asked, sitting suspiciously straighter. Ash frowned at his behaviour. "Yes, of course! In that case, meet me outside of Wela Volcano Park tomorrow evening. Hau, Brock, would you like to watch?"

"Count me in," Brock said.

"Definitely! You came to watch my trial against Lana, so yeah!" Hau said.

"Then, I'll see you all tomorrow," Ash said.

* * *

The next evening as the setting sun seared a fiery hue into the sky at dusk, Ash weaved through the bustle and bumping arms in Royal Avenue. He moved to meet Kiawe at the stony-paved entryway to Wela Volcano Park on the other side, admiring the sights as he approached.

Wela Volcano was immense, towering higher than any mountain Ash had so far seen in Alola. It looked like it was cropped into three sections; at the lowest level of the mountain grass and moss from the neighbouring forest stuck on and climbed to its last tendrils, then its brown and grey craggy body became unveiled when it couldn't reach any higher. Nearer the peak, the stone gradually became charred, the colour of coal. All along the sloping body smoke was continually being emitted from countless fumaroles of various formation: cracks and holes most notably, and also mounds shaped like tiny cone volcanoes. Two coned fumaroles pumping smoke stood guard on the raised stone beside the entrance. There were even some Pokémon – Magby, Magmar, Cubone, and a black lizard – walking all over the volcanic stone.

Ash walked between the smoking fumaroles to the volcano's base. Beyond was a sign that read 'Wela Volcano Park: The fire burns bright and hot here!', beside which stood Kiawe, his arms folded across his strong chest. There was a stern smile on his face.

"Welcome to Wela Volcano Park, Ash," Kiawe greeted him, "the location of your second trial on Akala Island – the trial of Kiawe!"

Ash had to admit it: Kiawe knew how to amplify his excitement. Restlessly carrying out odd jobs throughout the day – including stopping two Team Skull hooligans – while waiting had already charged his anticipation beyond its cap, and yet the formality and gravity with which Kiawe regarded the trial burst the seal. After Ilima and Lana's somewhat serious frivolity, Kiawe's serious nature felt fitting, especially for a Fire Type trial.

"I hope you are ready. The conditions within Wela Volcano are fierce, the Pokémon even more so," Kiawe said, and Ash loved what he was hearing.

"Let's do this," Ash eagerly declared.

"Very well!" Kiawe said and he nodded fiercely. "For this trial, you have one goal: reach the summit of Wela Volcano. What awaits you atop the volcano is not something that can be described with words, but something one must experience first-hand to truly grasp the greatness of Wela itself and the culture of Alola.

"But the path to such a spectacle is not a straight line. The caverns and pathways within Wela Volcano are a labyrinth inhabited by many Fire Type Pokémon. Make your way through the labyrinth and reach the summit. You may use up to four Pokémon whenever you wish. There are no restrictions such as single or double battling."

"Got it," Ash confirmed.

"Warm up here at the entrance. I will send somebody to tell you when you may begin," Kiawe announced, and he was off, marching towards the volcano.

Ash started stretching, feeling as if he had a surplus of energy. He also let out his three chosen Pokémon: Rockruff, Litten, and Bagon, the third of which he was hoping would put some of its unlimited aggression towards his endeavour. Once again, Ash caught Rockruff admiring at the dusk sky.

A short while later, a muscled blonde man wearing a green tank top, and walking gear approached. "You may begin!" the hiker-looking man cheerfully announced.

Thanking him, Ash set off running, Litten and Bagon returned for the moment, Pikachu contently perched on his shoulder.

Ash rushed through the scorched, wheat-coloured grass at the base of the volcano, quickly climbing the slope curving towards the labyrinth's entrance. He cleared the first patch of tall grass uneventfully; when he rummaged through the second, he confirmed that the unknown black lizard was a Fire Type. A Flame Burst exploded just beside him and Rockruff, forcing him to duck to dodge the spitting fire.

"Rockruff, Rock Throw!" Ash commanded, and his partner effortlessly spawned his halo of rocks. Rockruff released them one after another, catching his opponent once or twice – it scampered agilely between most of them. "Again, and time it to my calls!" Ash called, and Rockruff listened. This time, Ash anticipated the Pokémon's slithering, allowing for Rockruff's move to hit more accurately. Suffering consecutive direct hits, the opponent went down with ease. Ash continued upward.

Ash encountered two other challengers before the cave. The first was a Magby whose Ember couldn't compete with Rockruff's Rock Throw. Damaged by the Rock move, Rockruff leapt in to finish it off with Thunder Fang, but Ash spotted a third-partying Cubone at the last moment. He called Rockruff to retreat – Rockruff did a backflip, landing on Cubone's skull and pushing off. One Rock Throw mid-air knocked out the Magby, and when Rockruff landed, Ash tossed out Litten's Pokéball. A combo of Ember in the face to blind Cubone with the residual smoke and an onslaught of Fury Swipes whilst evading a wild Bone Club, and it was dealt with.

Ash entered the cave, and the first thing he noticed was the sultry air; his skin was melting, he began sweating almost immediately. Along with the heat came a burnt smell like the many times he had been 'affectionately' blasted with one of his Fire Type's moves. Kiawe had been right: the conditions were severe.

The first room of the caves was circular, lit orange by flame torches holstered on the walls. Beyond it was a dark corridor that began the labyrinth, that too lit only by faint orange glows.

Wiping the first layer of sweat from his forehead, Ash dashed into the dim corridor. The minute he chose to turn right at the first corner something leapt out at him from the darkness; Ash dived sideways to avoid it, harshly shouldering the wall. Hearing the frankly annoying cry, Ash deduced that it was a Zubat. However, it merely swooped past him. His slight fright over, Ash shook his head and headed warily along the right path, now attentive to any lurkers in the dark.

Ash ran through the rugged corridors without losing much breath, making quick decisions to turn each corner. Every so often a Pokémon would leap out at him from the darkness, but they were quick to be defeated by Litten and Rockruff, a duo that fought as if they shared a mind. Their movements to his commands were flawless.

Ash fought through the tiring heat and attackers for a few minutes, finally turning right at the next interval into an area that differed from dark red corridors. He stepped into another open area atop a slight slope. This one had clusters of black rocks smoking in the corners and a natural rounded rectangular viewing window in one of the walls. Though the window was a large open cave: a small stream of thick, gooey magma flowed into a lake of the bubbling substance, the rocks around it glowing red with heat; the ceiling had countless thick, spearing stalactites; and a cracked stone path wound around the stream towards a brighter, whiter light shining from one of the corners. It looked like outside light.

Determining that he was going the right way, Ash turned to enter the labyrinth on the other side to find that magma lake. As he did, he heard a yelp from Litten. He spun around to find two Magmar blocking either entrance, the smoke that was once hovering over the rocks vanished.

_It must have been a trick,_ Ash realised as both fired simultaneous Flame Bursts at Rockruff and Litten.

"Litten, pull back, Rockruff, Rock Throw all around you!" Ash called whilst grabbing his third Pokémon. It was risky since Bagon wasn't aiding him completely yet, but in such an enclosed space, his flighty attacks could work well. Moreover, he needed to acclimate Bagon to his battling style or else he would be behind the others.

For now, watching as Rockruff hit both with Rock Throw, Ash held off. It wasn't until Rockruff was hit with two powerful strikes of what looked like Feint Attack that he decided to risk it.

"Bagon, come on out!" Ash let Bagon loose. The first thing he did was stubbornly eye Ash with attitude. Ash grunted, annoyed, but he ignored it for now. "Alright Bagon, two enemies! Use Headbutt!"

Disappointingly, Bagon decided to hit Ash with Headbutt in what appeared to be a sign of rebellion instead, knocking him onto his back. Ash complained aloud as he jumped back onto his feet.

"You know what? Fine! Just let loose! Headbutt wherever you want! You've got two perfect punching bags to vent your anger right there! Let it all out! This'll be the last time!" Ash shouted to Bagon. Conforming to Bagon's temper was a different strategy, but it seemed to work. Bagon's constant sneer switched into a fanged grin, and he pushed off, bouncing around the room with Headbutt, avoiding one puff of Smokescreen and a Fire Punch to hit one Magmar in the chest. Ash mentally screamed in relief and had Rockruff cover with Rock Throw.

The ensuing sight of romping bodies encircled by black smoke and whirling rocks was chaotic. The Magmar tried Feint Attacks, Flame Bursts, Fire Punches but Ash could see that his Pokémon were wearing them down. Although Bagon's inability to discern enemy from ally made him slap a palm to his face – on multiple occasions, Bagon hit Rockruff or Litten. Nevertheless, as one Magmar fell to Bagon's battering ram head and he sent the other spiralling through the air, clattering into the far walls, Rockruff diverted its attacks to the remaining one and it fell a moment later.

"Awesome work, guys," Ash said and ran into the next corridor. This time, Bagon followed, looking content with unleashing its rage. Ash sighed; he was such a hazard at the moment.

Ash found the magma lake without any more encounters. He ran through and exited via what was indeed a hole outside. It led onto an outcrop with a pleasant view over Akala. There, he fought two Magby relatively rapidly and re-entered the cave higher up.

In this next section, Ash was awed by the change of lighting. Rather than warm orange, the holsters on the walls bore ghostly teal flames that illuminated the corridor with an even more dim, eerie ambience. Increasing his caution in the darkened room, Ash carried on, weaving through the paths, turning corner after corner. However, he ended up enclosed in a dead-end for the first time.

After tapping the wall for the possibility of a false dead end, Ash turned to retrace his steps. The moment he did, a woosh of wind hit his ears and the ghostly flames vanished. Thinking quickly, Ash asked Litten to use Ember to light the way. He flinched backwards when two ghostly flames ignited instead, unveiling a spooky pure white mask of a Marowak, engraved with a purple crest between its eyes. Immediately, as it swung its bone which bore the two flames, Ash recognised it as an Alolan variant – he had seen Kiawe's before.

Even Ash had to jump out of the way of Marowak's wide attack, sliding into the wall as he did so. It didn't stop after what appeared to be one Bone Club; it threw the bone in a Bonemerang.

"Bagon, Headbutt," Ash called, hoping he'd obey. Thankfully, he decided to. Whether to cooperate or fight on his own, Ash didn't know.

The bone went spinning back into Marowak's hand. Marowak's eyes glowed teal and the flames changed to a purple hue. That colour reminded Ash of a Shadow Ball, so with a quick deduction, Ash told Litten and Rockruff to use Bite simultaneously. Despite Rockruff being slapped by the purple bone and Bagon getting in the way, Litten's landed. Marowak grunted, collapsed to a knee; it seemed to be Super Effective. Ash was right.

"Rock Throw!" Ash called, making one more quick deduction; since it was in the Fire Trial, it had to be a Fire Type. Ash was proved right again when the Marowak, after batting away multiple rocks, collapsed to its front after the Rock Throw. Ash called Litten to use Bite again.

But the Marowak was bulkier than Ash thought. It jumped to its feet, launching its Bonemerang between all three of his Pokémon twice in succession. Since it was Super Effective on two, Ash focused, not wanting his Pokémon to take any more hits. He gave Litten and Rockruff perfect orders to dodge another Bonemerang and they both hit Marowak with Bite, then a combination of Thunder Fang and Ember. That ended the fight before Bagon could initiate any more friendly fire.

Wiping his brow again, Ash headed back into the corridor, guessing the way at each turn. The deeper and higher he progressed, the less Pokémon he saw – he only fought a few more pesky Marowak – and the easier the maze seemed to become. A few minutes later, he found the exit.

The fresh air of the summit was like he stepped out of a sauna or a hot spring, an Icy Wind in Ash's face. He took a moment to cool down and to let his Pokémon do the same before continuing. He felt a lot more awake now. That was probably a benefit of the sultry air for the trial: to make the challenger feel exhausted.

It was night-time now, the moon and stars glittering nearby from such a height. Atop the summit, as with the other trials, stood the signifying pillars beside a slope up to the peak. Ash walked through the pillars, gazing around him as he did. The rocks enclosing the path were all scorched – some were still molten red on top, glowing beautifully and smoking in the dark night. The volcano plateaued at the very top, bordered by more molten rocks. Kiawe stood upon a circular stone platform, his other friends supportively placed around it, the steps onto which were adorned by flaming braziers nestled on wooden stands. Beside Kiawe were three Alolan Marowak.

"Well done on making it this far, Ash," Kiawe said. "And now, the sight you have been awaiting. As these Marowak and I perform one of Alola's ancient dances, take a moment to gaze upon Akala Island in all its beauty. This is the true majesty of Wela Volcano."

From nowhere, three identical hikers appeared with drums slung over their necks. They began playing and Kiawe began dancing, the Marowak fire dancing in front of him, spinning their ghostly bones in circles and slashes. It was an intricate, polished dance with no move out of place, power and purpose in each spin or turn or arm gesture. Kiawe transitioned flawlessly between his movements, obviously a master of the dance. For a while, Ash was so awed by the performance he forgot to admire the scenery as Kiawe said. When he did, though, Ash's words left him.

From so high up, he could see all of Akala down below. They were just above the clouds, yet the cloudless night allowed him to see the many lights of Heahea and the city he hadn't yet visited waving at him. He could see the dark jungle, Treasure Island, Melemele too in the far distance of the calm, sparkling navy sea. Pikipek and their evolution, Trumbeak he had learned, were swooping around in the sky, a sight Ash noticed his Bagon focused on. It was beautiful.

Ash's admiring of the scenery was ended when Kiawe's drums stopped. Turning around to find the dance finished, Ash was thrown right into the action once again when a large-bodied Salazzle leapt up and over the wall opposite, landing with a heavy crash on the stage.

"Let the Totem battle begin!" Kiawe announced, leaving the stage with two of the Marowak.

Ash darted right onto the stage, two of his Pokémon by his side – Bagon remained staring up at the sky, but Ash didn't mind. He had cooperated enough so far, and he was proud of him. Now, grinning, all he wanted to do was battle the Totem.

To begin the fight, the Salazzle fired a large gloopy Flame Burst between Litten and Rockruff. They instinctively scattered.

"Litten, Bite on Marowak, Rockruff Rock Throw towards the Totem!" Ash called out, a quick strategy forming with type advantages in mind. However, Litten ran in at Salazzle instead, chomping down on its tail. Rockruff's Rock Throw was challenged by Flame Burst; some of the stones powered through, hitting the Totem. Unfortunately, that yellow Totem aura flared up, and Ash guessed it was a Special Defence raising one this time.

"Litten, Fury Swipes!" Ash called, accommodating the strange change of events without pause. His confusion as to why Litten disobeyed was answered when the Salazzle used Double Slap to try and hit Litten away. It used Double Slap with its tail then, and Litten rolled side to side on the stone like a playing kitten to avoid it, striking with Fury Swipes now and again. That familiar scene made Ash realised what was going on: the Totem Salazzle must be the same one from Litten's first battle. His Salazzle being made a Totem must be the 'special' thing Kiawe mentioned.

Ash grinned harder.

"Rockruff, slide and use Bite on Marowak! Litten, keep the Fury Swipes going!"

Ash watched both of his Pokémon land their hits, Litten with multiple. Marowak retaliated with its Ghost Type Bone Club, hitting Rockruff over the head. It rushed back in again without the flames on the bone this time. It was only Bone Club, but for Rockruff, that was more dangerous.

"Sand Attack, Rockruff!" Ash called, sensing the danger, and remembering he could alternate moves whenever. Luckily, a blast of sand in the eyes was enough to make Marowak miss. "Nice! Bite, then Thunder Fang!"

Ash swapped to watch Litten, who was just hit by a point-blank Flame Burst and a follow-up of Double Slap. To avoid the second repetition, Ash called Litten to feint left then jump towards Salazzle's side, his paws readied with Fury Swipes, his jaw with Bite simultaneously. Mid-dodge, Litten slashed at Salazzle's enormous grey body then snagged its tail in Bite, forcing it to cry out and retreat. Litten landed, then darted in again. In response to Litten's proximity, the Salazzle's cheeks puffed up; Ash spotted a sliver of purple gas leak between her sharp teeth.

"Rockruff, jump off Marowak's head and use Rock Throw on Salazzle!" Ash called. Just in time, Rockruff's agile move hit Salazzle's face, averting it away from Litten. The move, Poison Gas, rose into the air and dissipated, leaving it ineffective. In the meantime, Litten ran in and attacked. Unfortunately, Rockruff wasn't able to evade Marowak's Bonemerang while in the air and he fell hard. Grimacing, Ash called, "Litten, grab onto Salazzle with Bite and use Fury Swipes!"

As Litten obeyed, Marowak unleashed a few balls of flames towards Rockruff. Since he was downed after the Bonemerang, they hit. Some of Rockruff's fur turned a black-red colour, evidence of an obvious burn. Will-O-Wisp. That meant Rockruff's attack was lower, so Ash called for Rock Throw. Unfortunately, the burn weakened Rockruff's movements, allowing Marowak to bat away the lethargic rocks with its Bone Club and charge him.

"Bite!" Ash told Rockruff, who sprinted determinedly to meet Marowak despite the burn. He landed the hit, and a second repetition, leaving the Marowak in a similar weak state to his own.

A cry from Litten switched Ash's focus back to the Totem – he heard scuffling behind him all the while. Salazzle's glowing hands and Litten skidding along the ground indicated he had been hit by Double Slap. Salazzle advanced, continuing the onslaught, returning the favour of Litten's Fury Swipes that had left its body heavily scratched. Litten was slapped left and right multiple times, helpless to the burst of speed Salazzle displayed. Afterwards, it reared back its head and fired one thick blast of purple venom at Litten. From his experience, Ash deduced it as Venoshock. After such an onslaught, Litten was floored, and it looked like Salazzle was preparing another Venoshock.

A glance and Ash saw Rockruff trade a hit with Marowak, a Bone Club for a Bite. Both staggered backwards, Rockruff facing Salazzle rather than Marowak. Upon seeing Salazzle towering threateningly above Litten, Rockruff's eyes widened. Ash didn't even give a command for his next movement: despite his burn, despite his injuries, Rockruff dashed across the stage and leapt in front of Litten, a split-second decision that meant he took the Venoshock instead.

"Rockruff!" Ash shouted, watching as he collapsed to the ground. Luckily, it was not-very-effective, but then a Bonemerang curved through the air. It hit, and Rockruff was no longer able to battle.

Ash quickly looked at the Totem, who was pulling back his arm for Double Slap. The hit would likely do a lot of damage to Litten given his state. Ash gritted his teeth, wondering if Bagon would obey him.

But then something happened. As Salazzle slammed its arm downwards, Litten stood on all paws and caught the attack within its jaw, which erupted with scarlet flames. In the next moment, Litten's body was engulfed in flames too, it's cry echoing out over the plateau. Ash couldn't see what was happening through the fire, but he could hear the depth of Litten's high pitched cry deepening to a more wild growl.

When the flames disappeared Salazzle bounced backwards and Litten had changed. It wasn't Litten anymore. He had evolved: Litten's body was longer now, his back black with a reddish-orange underbelly. His yellow eyes were sharper, less innocent, his whiskers and ears and tail longer too. Similar red markings covered its body, and a yellow ball rested below its neck like a collar. Litten's evolution stood tall and proud, his face set in a glare.

"Awesome!" Ash shouted, feeling overjoyed. He couldn't have asked for a better setting to see an evolution. "Litten… uhh…"

"Torracat!" Rotom yelled out.

"Torracat, use Bite on Salazzle!" Ash called out. Instead, however, Torracat's jaw erupted with crimson flames; his Bite seemed to have become Fire Fang. Despite the typings, Salazzle was knocked down when Torracat snapped his jaw onto Salazzle's arm like a vice. As if on instinct, Torracat turned towards Marowak next, who was running in with Bone Club. "Side-step it and use Bite!"

Marowak swung, and Torracat evaded at the last minute. The Bite landed with such power that Marowak was almost knocked out on the spot. Ash spotted Salazzle spit a Venoshock, so he called Torracat to dodge; the evolved cat did so without hesitation. As a follow-up, Salazzle ran in with Double Slap and Marowak did with Bone Club.

"Torracat, Fury Swipes!" Ash called out, spotting his Torracat instinctively look between each opponent. Torracat's paws shone white and he began parrying both Pokémon's attacks. Despite Marowak's type advantage, Torracat blew back his Bone Club, ducked under a Double Slap and landed one powerful Fire Fang on Marowak, eliminating it from the fight.

"Torracat, slide left!" Ash called, and Torracat did, evading an attack from behind without even seeing it. "Ember in its eyes, then attack its body with Fury Swipes!" Ash commanded, grinning like a maniac. As if aided by Lock-On, Torracat spun around and hit Salazzle in the eyes with Ember, blinding it long enough to assault its body with Fury Swipes. Salazzle staggered greatly, and Ash knew he had it.

"Torracat, Fire Fang!" Ash shouted, punching the air enthusiastically. Torracat growled, its jaw ignited, and it bit down on Salazzle's neck. Salazzle screamed and fell backwards, clattering into the ground while Torracat still held on. Torracat jumped off it, took one look at Salazzle, and glanced up at the sky. A mix between a lion's roar and a cat's meow rumbled from its throat: a victory cry.

A moment of silence followed as Kiawe inspected the field, and then he called it.

"Congratulations, Ash, you've cleared the Fire Trial of Akala Island! Please take your Z-Crystal," Kiawe said, gesturing the pedestal on the other side of the stage.

Rousing Rockruff from his unconsciousness first, and calling Bagon over, Ash sidestepped Salazzle and Marowak and jogged to the pedestal, Torracat by his side. With a beautiful view over the sea, he reached in and took the Fire Type Z-Crystal. It felt warm in his hand, as with the rest of the crystals. He glanced at Torracat, and at the same time, they grinned and unleashed two triumphant yells that echoed in the night.

* * *

**I dunno what it is, but the chapters with battling in them always seem to be longer than I realise. I hope this length isn't too long, but here's Kiawe's trial! I decided to do something completely different to the games, and I'm sure you can guess why. The idea of this type of trial for the Fire Trial just really worked for me, you know? More about it will be explained in the next chapter!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
